East Texas: Tornado hits First Monday Trade Days in Canton

Bud Kennedy says First Monday Trade Days is the best known flea market in the region, with up to 7,000 vendors.

And, as of this morning, one tornado.

"This is the equivalent of a tornado running through Traders Village on a busy Saturday morning," Kennedy says.

News is a bit sketchy at the moment, but the NWS confirms a tornado hit the flea market.

"Cars were overturned, people are injured," meteorologist Jesse Moore said.

There are no reports of deaths so far.

This will no doubt become a continuing story for the day.

UPDATE: KRLD is reporting that First Monday Trade Days is being cleaned up and will be open all weekend.

UPDATE, PART 2: From Julie Seymore, Canton city secretary... two known injuries. "We don't know of the seriousness of them, but they were transported to an area hospital," Seymore said. The first injury was on Highway 19 when a vehicle overturned. The other was in the First Monday parking lot, when a person was trapped in a van under a fallen limb. Damage is mostly relegated to snapped trees. Other damage is minimal, Seymore said. "Everything is open and back on line," she said. An official update is coming soon, she said.

UPDATE, PART 3: News release from First Monday... A line of thunderstorms passed through Canton at appx. 8:14 a.m.  A tornado touched down in a First Monday Trade Days parking lot on the southwest side where two people were trapped in a van under a fallen tree.  They have been freed and transported to an area hospital.  The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time.  There are also reports of two cars trapped by downed power lines on the First Monday grounds.  They have been cleared with no injuries reported.

The tornado also touched down on the east side of First Monday Trade Days.  One vehicle was overturned on Highway 19 in that area.  The driver was transported by ambulance to an area hospital.  There is no word yet on the seriousness of her injuries. 

The storm passed through quickly with only three known injuries and minimal damage.  Canton emergency personnel responded to the scene and received assistance from Champion EMS Ambulance Service, area emergency personnel from the Wills Point, Edgewood and Mabank Fire Departments, Van Zandt & Rains County Sheriff’s Departments, and the Red Cross.  Wal-Mart also offered to provide any supplies needed.  Extra personnel have since been released to assist Lindale, the next city in the storm’s path. 

Canton will release updates as soon as possible on the three injuries, but was very lucky others were not injured and the damage was light.  There are a lot of vendors set up on the grounds in tents and under pavilions, as well as many shoppers.  No structures were damaged.  City crews are cleaning up minimal debris.  First Monday Trade Days is open and Canton is expecting one of its best weekends of the year.

UPDATE, PART 4: From Julie Seymore, Canton city secretary... A line of thunderstorms passed through Canton at appx. 8:14 a.m.  A tornado touched down in a First Monday Trade Days parking lot on the southwest side where two people were trapped in a van by a fallen tree and downed power line.  They were freed without injuries.  Another unoccupied vehicle also had to be freed from that debris.  One RV near that site was turned on its side with a woman inside.  She was shaken up but did not appear to be seriously injured.  She was not transported to the hospital.

The earlier reported overturned vehicle on Highway 19 was not a result of the storm and the driver did not require transport to a hospital.    However, the storm did cause another vehicle to overturn on Interstate 20.  The single occupant was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.   Two other people were transported to area hospitals with chest pain/possible heart attack.

The storm passed through quickly with no known major injuries and minimal damage.  
- Bryon Okada