Tornado and flooding destroy vacation home – 12 tourists missing

CIUDAD ACUNA, Mexico – After a tornado touched down and wreaked havoc on the border of Texas and Mexico today after daybreak, 12 tourists were reported missing, believed to be 2 families sharing a hom

CIUDAD ACUNA, Mexico – After a tornado touched down and wreaked havoc on the border of Texas and Mexico today after daybreak, 12 tourists were reported missing, believed to be 2 families sharing a home rental. The vacation home they were staying in at Ciudad Acuna, a city of 125,000 across from Del Rio, Texas, was swept away by gushing floodwaters. Reports indicate at least 13 have been killed – 10 adults and 3 infants.

The home of the vacationers, situated near the Blanco River in the Wimberley Valley, was pushed off its foundation by the floodwaters and smashed into a bridge. The river rose 26 feet within an hour. Rescuers were only able to find pieces of the home. The house was in an area known for its bed-and-breakfast inns and weekend rental cottages.

The tornado tracked through a 7-block area in the border town, and pulled an infant in its carrier from its mother’s arms sending it flying into the air, along with cars and pieces of wrecked houses.

According to the Mayor, Evaristo Perez Rivera, around 200 homes have been demolished and 300 people are being treated for injuries at nearby hospitals.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto will be arriving in Acuna later in the day to assess the damage.

On the United States side of the border, twisters caused flooding and forced over 2,000 Texans to flee from their homes.

So far a man’s body has been recovered in the area near the Blanco River. Recovery will resume on Tuesday morning with daybreak. Rescuers hope to find survivors in the debris.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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