Latest news with #ClayHinton
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
US surveillance balloon breaks free near Texas border and travels to Dallas area before crashing
DALLAS (AP) — A large balloon used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for surveillance along the Texas border broke free and traveled about 600 miles (966 kilometers) to the north before crashing as high winds swept through the state, officials said. On Monday afternoon, the aerostat system broke free from its tether during a 'severe wind event' on South Padre Island and contact was lost, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. The agency said it was located the next day in Hunt County, about 30 miles east of Dallas. 'All the neighbors were over there. Nobody knew what it was,' Clay Hinton told WFAA television station. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Then, he said, officials began arriving. 'I was like, oh, OK it's not just a tarp or anything," he said. "That's something!' A storm system that moved through the Dallas area early Tuesday brought wind gusts over 75 mph (120 kph), and on Monday afternoon wind gusts in South Padre Island and the surrounding area had ranged from around 20 mph (32 kph) to 30 mph (48 kph), National Weather Service officials said. A fact sheet from Customs and Border Protection says it uses the Tethered Aerostat Radar System to detect low-altitude aircraft. The hull of the aerostat consists of an upper chamber filled with helium, and the lower chamber is a pressurized air compartment. Customs and Border Protection said it will work with federal, state and local officials to investigate the incident.
The Independent
06-03-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
US surveillance balloon breaks free near Texas border and travels to Dallas area before crashing
A large balloon used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for surveillance along the Texas border broke free and traveled about 600 miles (966 kilometers) to the north before crashing as high winds swept through the state, officials said. On Monday afternoon, the aerostat system broke free from its tether during a 'severe wind event' on South Padre Island and contact was lost, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. The agency said it was located the next day in Hunt County, about 30 miles east of Dallas. 'All the neighbors were over there. Nobody knew what it was,' Clay Hinton told WFAA television station. Then, he said, officials began arriving. 'I was like, oh, OK it's not just a tarp or anything," he said. "That's something!' A storm system that moved through the Dallas area early Tuesday brought wind gusts over 75 mph (120 kph), and on Monday afternoon wind gusts in South Padre Island and the surrounding area had ranged from around 20 mph (32 kph) to 30 mph (48 kph), National Weather Service officials said. A fact sheet from Customs and Border Protection says it uses the Tethered Aerostat Radar System to detect low-altitude aircraft. The hull of the aerostat consists of an upper chamber filled with helium, and the lower chamber is a pressurized air compartment. Customs and Border Protection said it will work with federal, state and local officials to investigate the incident.
Associated Press
06-03-2025
- Climate
- Associated Press
US surveillance balloon breaks free near Texas border and travels to Dallas area before crashing
DALLAS (AP) — A large balloon used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for surveillance along the Texas border broke free and traveled about 600 miles (966 kilometers) to the north before crashing as high winds swept through the state, officials said. On Monday afternoon, the aerostat system broke free from its tether during a 'severe wind event' on South Padre Island and contact was lost, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. The agency said it was located the next day in Hunt County, about 30 miles east of Dallas. 'All the neighbors were over there. Nobody knew what it was,' Clay Hinton told WFAA television station. Then, he said, officials began arriving. 'I was like, oh, OK it's not just a tarp or anything,' he said. 'That's something!' A storm system that moved through the Dallas area early Tuesday brought wind gusts over 75 mph (120 kph), and on Monday afternoon wind gusts in South Padre Island and the surrounding area had ranged from around 20 mph (32 kph) to 30 mph (48 kph), National Weather Service officials said. A fact sheet from Customs and Border Protection says it uses the Tethered Aerostat Radar System to detect low-altitude aircraft. The hull of the aerostat consists of an upper chamber filled with helium, and the lower chamber is a pressurized air compartment.
CNN
06-03-2025
- General
- CNN
Strong winds send US Customs blimp nearly 600 miles across Texas
Strong winds from a recent storm in the south sent a US Customs and Border Protection surveillance blimp flying nearly 600 miles across Texas. The blimp – resembling a while-hot air balloon - was dislodged from its base in South Padre Island, a beach town on the southern coast of Texas, around 3:15 p.m. local time Monday due to 'a severe wind event,' US Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations department said in a statement. Officials were at first unable to locate the blimp, known as a Tethered Aerostat System, after its communications were lost due to damage from winds. It urged the public to help find it. On Tuesday, Quinlan Texas Fire and Rescue in Hunt County found the blimp 30 miles east of Dallas, the department said. The incident is being investigated by Air and Marine Operations, as well as federal, state, and local officials, it added. CNN has reached out to South Hunt County Fire and Rescue. Tethered Aerostat Systems are used by Customs and Border officials to track 'suspicious air traffic' along the southwest border, according to an official fact sheet. These helium-filled systems are attached to the ground, can be as long as 208.5 feet and can weigh up to 2,400 pounds. Video obtained by CNN affiliate WFAA shows the blimp rotating downwards from the sky, before it crashed and folded over a power pole. Clay Hinton told WFAA he was initially confused about what the big white body of material could be. 'Finally, I was like what is this? It's not a hot air balloon!' he said, adding he was surprised when federal agents had arrived to look at the aerostat. A family living near the site of the crash told WFAA the blimp hit their home on the way down, damaging their roof. 'It's a lot of missing pieces, broken pieces,' 9-year-old Axel said in a video interview with WFAA. 'When I looked outside, I was about to cry.' Geneva Larsey, who lives nearby, told WFAA 'four or five wrecker trucks' came to collect the balloon. 'We're in a small town that no one comes to,' Larsey said. 'Who would have thought a little balloon would crash here?' South Padre Island, where the blimp was dislodged, recorded max gusts over 30 mph on Monday ahead of a massive storm that swept through the central and southern US, bringing a multitude of effects, including tornadoes, gusty winds, a notable dust storm, and fire weather. In Texas, severe thunderstorms Tuesday caused significant damage to buildings and gusty winds brought down trees and power lines across several cities, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Several wildfires erupted across central Texas on Tuesday as the strong winds and dry air exacerbated fire conditions. Nearly all of these have since been contained. However, another round of dry air and gusty winds on Thursday poses the threat of fire conditions with fire weather expected from central New Mexico to western Texas. Across the region, winds could gust to 65 mph. Red flag warnings are in effect Thursday for over 3 million people across western Texas, much of New Mexico, southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas and western Oklahoma.
CNN
06-03-2025
- General
- CNN
Strong winds send US Customs blimp nearly 600 miles across Texas
Strong winds from a recent storm in the south sent a US Customs and Border Protection surveillance blimp flying nearly 600 miles across Texas. The blimp – resembling a while-hot air balloon - was dislodged from its base in South Padre Island, a beach town on the southern coast of Texas, around 3:15 p.m. local time Monday due to 'a severe wind event,' US Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations department said in a statement. Officials were at first unable to locate the blimp, known as a Tethered Aerostat System, after its communications were lost due to damage from winds. It urged the public to help find it. On Tuesday, Quinlan Texas Fire and Rescue in Hunt County found the blimp 30 miles east of Dallas, the department said. The incident is being investigated by Air and Marine Operations, as well as federal, state, and local officials, it added. CNN has reached out to South Hunt County Fire and Rescue. Tethered Aerostat Systems are used by Customs and Border officials to track 'suspicious air traffic' along the southwest border, according to an official fact sheet. These helium-filled systems are attached to the ground, can be as long as 208.5 feet and can weigh up to 2,400 pounds. Video obtained by CNN affiliate WFAA shows the blimp rotating downwards from the sky, before it crashed and folded over a power pole. Clay Hinton told WFAA he was initially confused about what the big white body of material could be. 'Finally, I was like what is this? It's not a hot air balloon!' he said, adding he was surprised when federal agents had arrived to look at the aerostat. A family living near the site of the crash told WFAA the blimp hit their home on the way down, damaging their roof. 'It's a lot of missing pieces, broken pieces,' 9-year-old Axel said in a video interview with WFAA. 'When I looked outside, I was about to cry.' Geneva Larsey, who lives nearby, told WFAA 'four or five wrecker trucks' came to collect the balloon. 'We're in a small town that no one comes to,' Larsey said. 'Who would have thought a little balloon would crash here?' South Padre Island, where the blimp was dislodged, recorded max gusts over 30 mph on Monday ahead of a massive storm that swept through the central and southern US, bringing a multitude of effects, including tornadoes, gusty winds, a notable dust storm, and fire weather. In Texas, severe thunderstorms Tuesday caused significant damage to buildings and gusty winds brought down trees and power lines across several cities, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Several wildfires erupted across central Texas on Tuesday as the strong winds and dry air exacerbated fire conditions. Nearly all of these have since been contained. However, another round of dry air and gusty winds on Thursday poses the threat of fire conditions with fire weather expected from central New Mexico to western Texas. Across the region, winds could gust to 65 mph. Red flag warnings are in effect Thursday for over 3 million people across western Texas, much of New Mexico, southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas and western Oklahoma.
