Officials in East Texas are still assessing the damage caused by last night's round of storms and the flooding that followed.

Among the fatalities were a Palestine grandmother and her four grandchildren all under the age of 9, who appear to have been caught up in the flooding which reach roof-high levels in the 100 block of Timber in Palestine.

Meanwhile, Smith County has issued a disaster declaration following a possible tornado in Lindale.  There were, additionally, reports of some residents trapped in their homes by downed trees and power lines.  Many of the roads in Lindale remain impassable because of the flooding.

According to the Lindale fire chief, the primary area of damage is east of Lindale along Fm 16. There, around 40 homes were damaged in the storms.  Further, two retail locations were destroyed in Lindale.

Thousands remain without power Saturday as crews work to restore damaged power lines and most companies indicate that it could be days before all repairs are complete.

Lindale police are not asking for volunteers from the community at this time and they request that you avoid the area while they continue to monitor and assess the situation.

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