Texas tornado news: Historic blizzard and storms hit 62million Americans as 23 hurt after GRAPEFRUIT-sized hail falls

MORE than 62 million Americans across the South and central US are under alert as historic blizzards, fires and severe storms slam the region.

The severe weather system, expected to last through Thursday, has seen grapefruit-sized hail, tornadoes and wildfire alerts from Texas to Minnesota.

NOAA

Millions of Americans are under severe weather watch on Wednesday morning[/caption]

Twitter

A tornado hit central Texas on Tuesday, leaving at least 23 people injured[/caption]

Twitter / Gina Brown

Homes in Texas’ Bell County were damaged as one tornado brought massive hail measuring nearly six inches in length[/caption]

Tik Tok / sammz16

Texas residents took to social media to share footage of the huge hail[/caption]

Parts of the Mississippi valley are under level four out of five “moderate risk” of severe weather on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, which says the region could see strong tornadoes and large hail.

“Numerous severe thunderstorms appear likely across a large portion of the lower/mid Mississippi Valley into the Midwest, and lower Ohio Valley on Wednesday,” said the Storm Prediction Center.

On Tuesday, multiple tornadoes in Central Texas and Iowa caused injuries and widespread damage.

Homes in Texas’ Bell County were damaged as one tornado brought massive hail measuring nearly six inches in length.

The tornado slammed the town of Salado, leaving as many as 23 people injured.

Officials said several tornadoes confirmed by the National Weather Service had caused widespread damage north of Austin.

A dispatcher in Bell County, Texas, told weather.com that people were calling 911 after tornado warnings were issued in the area.

As of Wednesday morning, 47,000 Texans were experiencing power outages.

Additionally, more than 65,000 people in Louisiana remained without power as thunderstorms hit the state on Tuesday.

While the storms weakened overnight, they are expected to gain strength again on Wednesday.

North Dakota was also slammed by severe weather on Tuesday, when a major blizzard brought snow and high winds that could remain until Thursday.

Grand Forks saw between nine and 11 inches of snow, per the National Weather Service, and much of the state remains under blizzard warning.

Moreover, alerts for “extremely critical” fires are in place for the High Plains.

In New Mexico, wildfires consumed around 150 structures and homes on Tuesday evening.

Other hailstones were reported in Arkansas and South Dakota, according to the National Weather Service.

Tornado damage was also reported in Humboldt County, Iowa, where a storm spotter said a vehicle crashed into a tree that was knocked down by the storms. The driver wasn’t injured.

There are also reports of tornadoes in Nebraska.

“Williamson County is still under a tornado watch until 11pm tonight, so we encourage our residents to stay tuned to local weather forecasts and know where to go if the tornado watch turns into a warning,” said Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell.

Texas Division of Emergency Management/Facebook

A dispatcher in Bell County, Texas, said that people were calling 911 after tornado warnings were issued in the area[/caption]

Fox 7 Austin

As of Wednesday morning, 47,000 Texans were experiencing power outages[/caption]