‘A life-threatening situation’: Dallas tornado devastates homes, leaves thousands without power

A tornado and several violent thunderstorms tore through the Dallas area Sunday night, destroying homes and businesses, lifting debris at least three miles in the air and leaving tens of thousands of people without power.

The severe storms, featuring 70 mph wind, heavy rain, lightning and half-dollar-sized hail, left 65,000 people without power Sunday night, according to Oncor, the state’s largest utility company. 

“Damage is significant in the areas where the tornado touched down,” Oncor tweeted. The City of Dallas said there are no reports of fatalities, but first responders were working overnight to check on residents in a door-to-door search, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Rocky Vaz, director of the Dallas Office of Emergency Management, told The Washington Post that three people had been hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries related to the storm. Vaz added that six people also suffered non-critical injuries after an 18-wheeler overturned. “The Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue are assessing damaged structures and will continue to do so throughout the night,” the city said in a news release, which noted dozens of downed traffic signals, as well as reports of a natural gas leak.

Videos of the tornado’s funnel cloud and images of devastation throughout North Texas offered a window into the seriousness of the threat. Shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department confirmed a tornado had formed about two miles north of Dallas Love Field Airport and was moving east. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth labeled the tornado “a life-threatening situation,” indicating that “complete destruction is possible.”
 

Tornado 1 Crossing 635 in N dallas earlier directly in front of me... @cbs11jeffrey pic.twitter.com/9f0mbdCxDl

— North Texas Weather (@NorthTXWeather) October 21, 2019

Tornado in north Dallas this evening..

????: Rick Bennet #txwx pic.twitter.com/8EZOIFblAF

— Jon Haverfield (@JonDopplerWX) October 21, 2019

My coworker took this video of the tornado, I’m shook ???? pic.twitter.com/nPObcO02sI

— Jenni ???? (@jennifer_atm) October 21, 2019

Multiple thunderstorm warnings remained in place as of early Monday. Additional tornadoes were also reported in southern Dallas and Rockwall counties, the Morning News reported. On social media, videos of the tornado’s funnel around the Dallas area provided a stunning visual for a storm that was tracked for up to 17 miles on the radar.

Photos of the destruction in North Texas spread throughout the night, from homes without roofs and deeply damaged structures to downed trees and power lines. Homes were left in ruins in Preston Hollow, an affluent Dallas neighborhood north of Southern Methodist University, where radar data showed debris lifted at least three miles into the air. The area is home to former president George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush, who were reportedly not harmed in the storm.

“They got lucky and are praying for the safety of their neighbors around DFW,” a Bush spokesman told KTVT. Tina Devlin, a Dallas resident, told NBC News that her home was destroyed, calling it “a total loss.”

“I heard all the snapping of the trees and the wind blowing, and so I climbed into this bedroom closet, and just as I got in there, the roof blew off,” Devlin said to KXAS, adding that a fire crew helped her and her family to safety. “I just thank God we’re alive. I haven’t cried any — I’ve just been panicked.”
 

This is the scene at Walnut Hill and Monroe in NW Dallas. This is awful! Search and Rescue efforts are underway in this area now. Crews going door to door. Stay clear of this area and say a prayer for these folks. @CBSDFW #DallasTornado #txwx pic.twitter.com/kPHgnqEHfl

— Ken Molestina (@cbs11ken) October 21, 2019

Right after Tornado crossed 635 in N Dallas just east of 75... pic.twitter.com/obu7J9CRdD

— North Texas Weather (@NorthTXWeather) October 21, 2019

NORTH DALLAS DAMAGE: Homes badly damaged near the Dallas North Tollway and Royal Lane — close to St. Mark’s School. #wfaaweather pic.twitter.com/4aHLusZssI

— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) October 21, 2019

Bron: www.washingtonpost.com

2:48 PM - An NWS survey team has determined that the estimated maximum winds for the tornado in North Dallas is 140 mph, consistent with an EF-3 rating. We will share more information later this afternoon/evening with additional details. #dfwwx #txwx pic.twitter.com/raQOxD2f9A

— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) October 21, 2019

DALLAS TORNADO— The man who owns this home tells us they’d been renovating it for the last eight months. He was planning to move his mother in this week. pic.twitter.com/zioFHBL5eS

— Shannon Murray (@ShannonMFox4) October 21, 2019

The Fort Worth NWS determined the North Dallas tornado was an EF-3 with estimated maximum winds of 140 mph. We will have the latest update from Dallas on KAGS News at 6 PM.

????: Corey Martin pic.twitter.com/Az5h5WXSYx

— KAGS News (@KAGSnews) October 21, 2019

Some pretty hectic damage from last night's #DallasTornado in some of the city's wealthiest areas.... pic.twitter.com/Wz9c4RVawP

— Sunil Awasthi (@sa9321) October 21, 2019

More tornado damage from the Eastview/Valley View neighborhood in Sachse. Images from my father. #DallasTornado #txwx pic.twitter.com/yCoW2TUuSe

— Spine Tree (@TheFrozenSlime_) October 21, 2019