Large hail, tornadoes, damage North Texas region

Storms carrying large hail and damaging winds, including tornadoes, caused severe damage to parts of North Texas, officials said Saturday.

The town of Bowie, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Fort Worth, was hit hard by one tornado about 9 pm Friday, the National Weather Service confirmed Saturday.

A weather service survey team concluded from damage patterns that the twister rated an EF1 with winds estimated at up to 95 miles per hour (153 kilometres per hour).

City officials did not immediately respond to inquiries from The Associated Press, but Mayor Gaylynn Burris told the Bowie News that the storm damaged at least 50 businesses and at least that many homes in the town of more than 5,000 residents.

A police statement said no deaths or significant injuries were reported. Severe storms also unleashed hail as large as softballs in the Wichita Falls area, about 110 miles (175 kilometers) northwest of Fort Worth, damaging roofs and vehicles.