Storms and tornadoes in Dallas
Tornadoes have been violently spinning in the Dallas-Forth Worth area are collapsing roofs, ripping down power lines and tossing trailers around like toys – authorities say.
Weather service advisories issued Tuesday said storm spotters and radar shows separate “large and extremely dangerous” tornadoes south of Dallas and Fort Worth. The National Weather Service reported that as of 2pm CDT, DFW International Airport was in a direct path of a tornado.
The weather service says “considerable damage” has been reported near Cleburne, south of Fort Worth, and Lancaster, south of Dallas. Local television footage shows overturned and smashed semi-trailers on the ground in the southern portion of Dallas County. Dallas Police spokeswoman Sherri Jeffrey says twisters also have caused damage in the city limits.
A tornado watch (meaning that conditions are ripe for tornadoes to continue to form) was in place for 33 counties in north-central and northeastern Texas until 8 p.m. CDT – the National Weather Service reported.
Dallas tornado damages.
Tornadoes and violent storms raked through the Dallas area Tuesday, crumbling the wing of a nursing home, peeling roofs from dozens of homes, and spiraling big-rig trailers into the air like footballs. More than a dozen injuries were reported.
Overturned cars left streets unnavigable and flattened trucks clogged highway shoulders. Preliminary estimates were that six to 12 tornadoes had touched down in north Texas – senior National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Martello said. But firm numbers would come only after survey teams checked damage Wednesday – he said.
In suburban Dallas, Lancaster police officer Paul Beck said 10 people were injured, two of them severely. Three people were injured in Arlington, including two residents of a nursing home who were taken to a hospital with minor injuries after swirling winds clipped the building – city assistant fire chief Jim Self said.
“Of course the windows were flying out, and my sister is paralyzed, so I had to get someone to help me get her in a wheelchair to get her out of the room” – said Joy Johnston, who was visiting her 79-year-old sister at the Green Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. “It was terribly loud.”
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport canceled hundreds of flights and diverted others heading its way. Among the most stunning video was from an industrial section of Dallas, where rows of empty tractor-trailers, crumpled like soda cans, littered a parking lot.
“The officers were watching the tornadoes form and drop” – Kennedale Police Chief Tommy Williams said. “It was pretty active for a while.”
The confirmed tornadoes touched down near Royce City and Silver Springs, said National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Bishop. A tornado watch remained in effect until 8 p.m.
April is the peak of the tornado season that runs from March until June. Bishop said Tuesday’s storms suggest that “we’re on pace to be above normal.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liHm39jlKgk
Severe storms moved through Dallas just after noon Tuesday, forcing flights to be canceled and affecting related air traffic at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), LAX and across the nation.
Officials at LAX reported delays of three hours for departing and arriving flights, and the situation could easily get worse, with American Airlines and regional carrier American Eagle canceling about 460 flights into and out of DFW.
“We’re pretty well out of the flying business for the rest of the day today” – Tim Smith, an American spokesman, told Bloomberg. “Virtually all of our inbound flights will not take off and arrive this evening.”
LAX officials recommend that travelers with flights to and from DFW check their airlines for the latest status of their flights. The worst of the storms passed east of Dallas by mid-afternoon, but Joe Brancatelli of JoeSentMe.com, a passenger advocacy site, says schedules could be affected for the next 24 to 36 hours.
Because of the weather, at least 101 American and Eagle aircraft must undergo hail inspections before they can be flown – Smith said. Forty-eight flights headed for the airport were diverted before they could arrive – he said. Buildings at the airport were also being checked for damage – said David Magana, a spokesman.
Several tornadoes, baseball-sized hail and thunderstorms moved through the area, according to the National Weather Service. Flights into the airport were halted about 1:30 p.m. local time.
Bloomberg reported that Southwest Airlines canceled 25 flights from Dallas Love Field Airport and some flights were diverted before arriving.