A downed tree is pictured at Judy Street and Highway 110 in Whitehouse on Tuesday morning.

Editor’s note: Did you have damage from the early Tuesday storms in the Tyler or Whitehouse areas? Let us know and send any photos to news@tylerpaper.com. 

One person was killed in overnight storms in Whitehouse, and officials are asking residents to stay off roadways until they can be cleared and power restored.

Storms moving through the region prompted watches and warnings throughout East Texas leaving thousands without power early Tuesday. Whitehouse ISD has canceled classes for the day.

“There has been one confirmed casualty,” Whitehouse Fire Chief Madison Johnson said at an early morning press conference about the storms’ local impact. “We want the citizens of Whitehouse to rest assured their safety is our main focus, and we are trying to meet the immediate needs of the displaced citizens currently that received damage to their homes.”

Service provider Oncor reported at just before 7 a.m. that more than 8,000 customers in the Whitehouse area were without power along with more than 4,000 in the Tyler area.

“At daybreak, we will launch a methodical damage assessment with all our assisting Smith County agencies,” Johnson said.

He asked all residents to stay off the roads and “stay at home” until the roads can be cleared and power restored.

According to Madison, calls began coming in at about 1:45 a.m. and the largest part of the damage is in the southern part of the city. He said the city will continue to update residents throughout the day.