Southern Plains slammed by violent weather

Violent storms hit Southern Plains

NORTH TEXAS -- The southern plains are getting pounded by violent weather, including tornadoes, hail and high water.

Bystanders captured cell phone video of a funnel cloud as it tore through Hood County, Texas. When it was over, damaged homes could be seen for miles.

In nearby Stephenville, the roof was sheered off of an apartment building, leaving furniture and belongings exposed.

In Stephenville, the roof was sheered off of this apartment building, leaving furniture and belongings exposed. CBS News

Officer Barrett Wilson helped people evacuate.

"Started going door to door, door were locked. Started kicking them in," he said.

He didn't have to go far, he lives here too.

"Lot of loud wind. Everything crashing down around you. I was waiting for my apartment to crash down...luckily it didn't...everyone made it out okay," he said.

The same system brought blinding-rain and winds as high as 70 miles an hour to the Dallas-Fort Worth area -- rocking A gas station awning back and forth, before it toppled over.

"The wind was blowing really hard," said Tanya Jackson, a store clerk. "I had two cars underneath. We got them out just before it fell down on the pumps."

Water rose quickly in Dallas suburbs, leading to water rescues, not just from cars, but from a school bus. Six children were taken from thigh-high water to safety.

Six children were taken from a school bus in thigh-high water to safety in a Dallas suburb. CBS News

Despite extensive damage, the only storm-related death so far is a man whose canoe capsized near Houston.

The threat is not over yet -- the system could dump up to a foot of rain as it moves on to Louisiana and Arkansas over the next two days.

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