69-year-old woman killed when severe storm hits mobile home in Parker County
A 69-year-old woman was killed when a storm hit a mobile home near Springtown on Saturday night, according to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the woman who died as Kathleen Rushing Lietzke.
The Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call about 10:40 p.m. from a resident in the 6700 block of Hutcheson Hill Road. The caller reported she had found a family member who appeared to be dead in the debris of the storm-damaged home.
Emergency services personnel responded and found Lietzke at the scene of the severely damaged mobile home, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The National Weather Service in Fort Worth confirmed that an EF-1 tornado with peak wind speeds of 105 mph hit the Springtown area. The spot where the woman died was not in the path of the tornado but was hit by very strong rear flank downdraft winds that were part of the same supercell, according to the NWS.
A preliminary NWS survey found that the Parker County tornado cut across Texas Highway 199 headed southeast and was on the ground for more than 30 minutes.
According to Parker County Emergency Services District 1, there was widespread damage west and south of Springtown and area fire departments responded to more than 70 calls for service. Some areas may be without electric power for an extended period of time.
The NWS survey also found that an EF-2 tornado hit the Runaway Bay area in Wise County, where another death was reported along with six injuries and damage to more than 25 homes.
This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 3:47 PM.
