Severe storms hit Tarrant County, damage buildings in Arlington and Grand Prairie
Heavy rain and high winds drubbed parts of North Texas on Tuesday night as severe thunderstorms moved through the region, leaving behind structural damage in Arlington and Grand Prairie.
Buildings were damaged and traffic lights malfunctioned in central and east Arlington, in an area from South Cooper Street and Colorado Lane to Pioneer Parkway and Center Street, police said on social media. The damage includes roof collapses on some structures, police said in a tweet. Police and firefighters were working to determine the extent of damages and whether there were any injuries.
“The Fire Department is thankfully reporting no serious injuries at this time,” police said in a Facebook post about 11:30 p.m.
Police told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV late Tuesday that at least seven buildings in the city sustained damage.
Police said in a tweet about 11:15 p.m. that officers were continuing to assist the fire department “at a few locations tonight due to roof collapses and debris field. Pioneer Parkway is closed in both directions between Center Street and Collins Street due to debris from area apartment complexes on (the) roadway.”
WFAA-TV reported part of a wall at a Burger Box restaurant at 2501 S. Cooper St. fell onto two vehicles in the drive-thru lane. A family who were trapped in one car had only minor injuries but needed help getting out of the vehicle, Arlington officials told WFAA.
WFAA also reported damage at the Mirage Apartments, Garden Park Apartments, Waterdance Apartments and Jessie’s Autobody.
The Red Cross told WFAA that roofs were blown off buildings at the Waterdance and Mirage apartment complexes off Pioneer Parkway, where between 60 and 100 people were displaced. The affected families will be given shelter at local hotels.
Power lines and trees were down near East Pioneer Parkway and South Collins Street in Arlington, according to a weather spotter report to the National Weather Service.
DFW Scanner reported damage in Arlington to the Safelite AutoGlass facility at Cooper Street and Secretary Drive, and roof damage to a commercial building in the 1100 block of Colorado Lane.
Emergency management in Grand Prairie also reported significant damage to at least four structures near Highway 360 and Park Row, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service briefly issued a tornado warning for east-central Tarrant County and northwestern Dallas County.
Near Krum, in Denton County, the city’s fire department said there was a 65 mph wind gust about 8 p.m.
The weather service said that about 9 p.m., a severe thunderstorm that was capable of producing a tornado was located near Grand Prairie and was moving east at 45 mph.
At 10:35 p.m., the weather service said all warnings had expired for counties in North and Central Texas.
This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 9:51 PM.
