Waco, US.- Texas saw hail the size of baseballs fall on Wednesday as thunderstorms battered parts of the southern United States and forecasters warned of possible debris damage and flash flooding in low-lying areas over the next two days.
Storms in central Texas brought “very large and destructive hail” Wednesday night, including some 4-inch boulders of ice that fell on Waco, south of Dallas.
The Waco Police Department said one of its officers’ cars had been hit by “hail the size of a baseball.”
Unconfirmed reports passed to the National Weather Service said the hail that fell around Texas varied in size, ranging from nickels to golf balls. Large hail was also observed as the storms hit Florida on Wednesday afternoon.
In the city of West Melbourne, southeast of Orlando, National Weather Service meteorologist Tony Cristaldi posted video showing boulders of ice hitting cars in his driveway and what he called a “river of ice” floating by. his street.
Forecasters expected the storm system to move east on Thursday and Friday, which could bring more hail to Florida or flooding along the Gulf Coast.
The full extent of the weather-related damage in Texas and other states on Wednesday was not immediately clear.
But more than 37,000 customers in Texas lost power early Thursday morning, and more than 300 flights leaving or landing at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport were canceled Wednesday.
