HOUSTON - Storms struck a rural area in the US state of Texas Thursday afternoon, leaving one woman dead and dozens of homes destroyed, local officials said.

Storms streaked across the southwestern corner of Sabine County, east Texas, at about 1:30 pm Thursday, county Sheriff Tom Maddox was quoted by local TV channel KHOU as saying.

The storm knocked down a tree limb onto a mobile home, fatally injuring a 74-year-old woman, who died of head injuries later in a hospital.

About 25 homes in the area were damaged by the storms, said Maddox.