TX Firefighters Sift Through Damage Done by Tornado, Storms

ARLINGTON, TX—A tornado hit the Arlington area Tuesday night as a line of thunderstorms pounded North Texas, leaving damage in Arlington and Grand Prairie, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth and local authorities.

No serious injuries were reported in the storms.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth believe a twister hit the Arlington area based on radar data. A survey team will be out Wednesday in the hardest-hit areas.

"They will be out to determine how intense the winds were at that time," said meteorologist Jason Dunn with the National Weather Service in a telephone interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "They also will be out to try and track it and how wide it was."

Dunn said a tornado in November is not rare in North Texas.

"We could get a tornado any month of the year here," Dunn said.

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.

"The Fire Department is thankfully reporting no serious injuries at this time," police said in a Facebook post about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Before the storms hit Tarrant County, wind gusts of 64 mph were reported Tuesday night at the Mineral Wells Airport, according to the NWS in Fort Worth.

Light damage was reported in Fannin and Denton counties from the storms.

"You had pockets of strong winds in the the storms which caused sporadic damage throughout North Texas," Dunn said.

Police told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV late Tuesday that at least seven buildings in Arlington sustained damage.

Police said in a tweet about 11:15 p.m. Tuesday 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.

Arlington, TX, firefighters dealt with the damage done by a tornado and severe thunderstorms late Tuesday.

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.

The American Red Cross of Greater North Texas said in a tweet on Wednesday morning that it is working with the City of Arlington "to help support the more than 70 families impacted by the storm that swept through and pulled the roof off their homes." If you need assistance, call 1-800- RED CROSS.

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.

As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, more than 2,600 customers were without power in Tarrant County, according to Oncor.

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. Tuesday, the weather service said all warnings had expired for counties in North and Central Texas.

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