June 2, 2011 - Leonard resident Monty Stanley was on his way home last Tuesday evening as a line of severe storms headed into Fannin County, when a cloud formation near Trenton caught his eye, and he stopped to get some photographs. Stanley took several pictures as he watched the storm - which appeared to be a tornado - between Trenton and Whitewright.

"From my vantage point it appeared to be on the ground for at least five to ten minutes," Stanley said.

The National Weather Service office in Fort Worth could not confirm a tornado, but did say a Tornado Warning had been issued for Fannin County, and requested to see the pictures.

The storm did produce small hail, torrential rain, lots of lightning and high winds that took off shingles and rearranged other outside houseold items in the local area. No major damage was reported, however. While a great photo opportunity, it was a scary night for a lot of residents, with some taking cover in storm shelters at varoius times. Many parents stayed up late watching the continuous weather coverage on Sherman and Dallas news stations to ensure their children were safe as the skies grew dark.

Pictured are two photographs of a believed tornado between Whitewright and Trenton last Tuesday, May 24. While the overall cloud formations look beautiful, the arm in the center (up close in bottom picture), caused concern for area motorists watching the storm. - Photos courtesy of Monty Stanley