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1.) DParker - 12/27/2015
This is a view, from across the lake, of the tornado that tore through my little suburb tonight (and a couple of others as well), destroying homes and killing people by throwing their cars off a highway overpass.
That string of light is a 2 mile long bridge across the lake that separates Rockwall from Rowlett. My neighborhood is just to the right of the end of that string of light. We dodged a bullet tonight...just barely. Unfortunately quite a few others weren't so lucky. We don't know how many yet, but the entire neighborhood and the nearby major intersection are covered by pieces of what used to be people's houses.
You know how you always hear eyewitnesses say, "It sounded like a freight train"? Now I understand what they're talking about.
That string of light is a 2 mile long bridge across the lake that separates Rockwall from Rowlett. My neighborhood is just to the right of the end of that string of light. We dodged a bullet tonight...just barely. Unfortunately quite a few others weren't so lucky. We don't know how many yet, but the entire neighborhood and the nearby major intersection are covered by pieces of what used to be people's houses.
You know how you always hear eyewitnesses say, "It sounded like a freight train"? Now I understand what they're talking about.
2.) Bob Peck - 12/27/2015
Good Lord DP! Happy that you & your family are safe. I used to scoff at tornado warnings here in VA when we first moved here. I'm from Upstate NY. What did I know? Apparently not much.
After seeing a few local farms literally flattened I take that power very seriously.
After seeing a few local farms literally flattened I take that power very seriously.
3.) Triton Rich - 12/27/2015
[B]Glad to hear that your were spared my friend. Hate to hear about the neighbors though. It's been nice walking around in a t-shirt lately but these Christmas tornado outbreaks are the unpleasant side effect.[/B]
4.) DParker - 12/27/2015
I, my wife and kids have spent the past 23 years with tornado warnings as a regular feature of TX weather and had grown rather relaxed about them too, given that they always touched down someplace not really close to us. And we were really lucky that the worst that happened to us personally was just a swift kick in our complacency.
We were watching it approach via TV weather coverage when the power suddenly went out and the emergency sirens around town all went off. Like an idiot I ran to one of the living room windows to look outside. It was too dark to see much, except the eerie and temporary dead calm. That's when I heard the tell-tale sound of an approaching freight train...in an area with no railroad tracks. So I hustled my wife, myself and our two large dogs into the downstairs bathroom that's the safest spot in the house, closed the door and waited it out. It's amazing how less than 5 minutes can seem like a half hour.
About 15 minutes later, when I was certain it was safe to go outside and I could see that our street had gone essentially untouched (save for some shingles and a few other small items laying in the yard) I decided to take a drive around the neighborhood to see what the situation was.
It was surreal. Just up the street a mature oak tree had been uprooted from someone's front yard, but with nothing else in the immediate area showing any damage at all. Then after I turned onto the street that leads to the nearby major intersection (major by this suburb's standards) I began to see splintered lumber in the street, on the median and the sidewalks. The power was still on around the intersection, and the closer I got the heavier and more varied the debris became, including 10 foot lengths of duct work, a mangled aluminum extension ladder...and an entire intact truss from someone's roof that had come to rest on top of a tree at the corner gas station. The other side of the intersection, where the carnage began and extended for a few miles to the south was already blocked off by emergency vehicles, so it wasn't until people began posting photos on social media and sending them to friends, family and coworkers (a couple teachers from my wife's school had their homes hit pretty hard) that we were able to begin to see how bad it was. This is a shot from a neighborhood near the southern end of the swath that the tornado cut through town...
We were watching it approach via TV weather coverage when the power suddenly went out and the emergency sirens around town all went off. Like an idiot I ran to one of the living room windows to look outside. It was too dark to see much, except the eerie and temporary dead calm. That's when I heard the tell-tale sound of an approaching freight train...in an area with no railroad tracks. So I hustled my wife, myself and our two large dogs into the downstairs bathroom that's the safest spot in the house, closed the door and waited it out. It's amazing how less than 5 minutes can seem like a half hour.
About 15 minutes later, when I was certain it was safe to go outside and I could see that our street had gone essentially untouched (save for some shingles and a few other small items laying in the yard) I decided to take a drive around the neighborhood to see what the situation was.
It was surreal. Just up the street a mature oak tree had been uprooted from someone's front yard, but with nothing else in the immediate area showing any damage at all. Then after I turned onto the street that leads to the nearby major intersection (major by this suburb's standards) I began to see splintered lumber in the street, on the median and the sidewalks. The power was still on around the intersection, and the closer I got the heavier and more varied the debris became, including 10 foot lengths of duct work, a mangled aluminum extension ladder...and an entire intact truss from someone's roof that had come to rest on top of a tree at the corner gas station. The other side of the intersection, where the carnage began and extended for a few miles to the south was already blocked off by emergency vehicles, so it wasn't until people began posting photos on social media and sending them to friends, family and coworkers (a couple teachers from my wife's school had their homes hit pretty hard) that we were able to begin to see how bad it was. This is a shot from a neighborhood near the southern end of the swath that the tornado cut through town...
5.) billy b - 12/27/2015
Holy cow DP, I've been watching that all morning, I didn't know you lived there. The news says that 8 were killed & numerous injured, thank God you & family are safe without much damage.
6.) DParker - 12/27/2015
Some more.
To make things even worse, we're under severe thunderstorms that started over an hour ago and are expected to run through tomorrow.
To make things even worse, we're under severe thunderstorms that started over an hour ago and are expected to run through tomorrow.
7.) DParker - 12/27/2015
[QUOTE=billy b;37598]Holy cow DP, I've been watching that all morning, I didn't know you lived there. The news says that 8 were killed & numerous injured, thank God you & family are safe without much damage.[/QUOTE]
Thanks. Yeah, we skated with nothing worse than some minor fence damage (and maybe some lost roof shingles...I haven't been able to check yet) and loss of power for a few hours. If we lived just a stone's throw to the south that would have been a different story.
Details are still coming in, but I think most of the death toll is from Garland (the major 'burb next door), and is due mostly to people being caught by the tornado while on the highway near 190 & I-30. It's amazing that more weren't killed.
Now I just want the weather to let up so we can see if there's anything we can do to help some of the neighbors. Fortunately everyone we know at least has family in the Metroplex they can stay with.
Thanks. Yeah, we skated with nothing worse than some minor fence damage (and maybe some lost roof shingles...I haven't been able to check yet) and loss of power for a few hours. If we lived just a stone's throw to the south that would have been a different story.
Details are still coming in, but I think most of the death toll is from Garland (the major 'burb next door), and is due mostly to people being caught by the tornado while on the highway near 190 & I-30. It's amazing that more weren't killed.
Now I just want the weather to let up so we can see if there's anything we can do to help some of the neighbors. Fortunately everyone we know at least has family in the Metroplex they can stay with.
8.) billy b - 12/27/2015
I'm glad you were mostly spared DP, prayers for the ones who lost so much, it'll be a rough go for everyone around there for a while.
9.) BULLZ-i - 12/27/2015
11 DEAD AT THIS POINT BUT THE DAMAGE IS PRETTY SEVERE . KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE DP
10.) DParker - 12/27/2015
Videos captured from a distance. It's quite the light show between lightning and transformers blowing up.
This is heading east on the I-30 access road in Garland. The twister had just passed through there and was cutting through Rowlett to the north (left).
These boys are crazy.
This is heading east on the I-30 access road in Garland. The twister had just passed through there and was cutting through Rowlett to the north (left).
These boys are crazy.
11.) DParker - 12/27/2015
12.) Wild Bob - 12/27/2015
Oh man! I'm glad you and your family are ok...but my heart goes out to those in your area that were less fortunate.
13.) DParker - 12/27/2015
As irrational as it is we feel guilt for coming through this so completely unscathed due to sheer dumb luck, while so many such a short distance away have lost so much. So it's all the more frustrating that between the thunderstorms and the the impacted neighborhoods being cordoned off to all but residents and emergency personnel there's nothing we can do to help right now save for getting online and donating some cash to the relief agencies that are involved (Red Cross, etc.) But I'm sure that by tomorrow local churches and others will have set up drop-offs for relief supplies that we can contribute to, and things will dry up enough over the next few days (the ground everywhere here is like swampland right now) that we can get with some volunteer group to go in and help people dig through the wreckage and salvage what can be saved of their personal belongings.
14.) DParker - 12/28/2015
OK, so for my last update for the day...here's a map of Rowlett's warning siren coverage that I overlaid with the path of the tornado and the location of my house. The area between the two parallel black lines is essentially the path that the funnel took across the ground (of course it wasn't perfectly straight and meandered just a little here and there, but it was pretty close to being that straight per the damage maps I've seen), while the red outlined arrow points to where my house is. So it looks like I severely underestimated the actual distance from us to the edge of the where the funnel was on the ground, which was more like 600 yards (given the tornado's wedge shape the top part was almost certainly over our house, which is likely why I was able to hear it so well and thought it was closer). Still far too close for my liking.
15.) Hunter - 12/28/2015
That is scary, DP!! Glad everything is good with you.
16.) Dan-o - 12/28/2015
Glad everyone here is safe. I sure picked a fine time to come hunting in Texas!
17.) DParker - 12/28/2015
[QUOTE=Dan-o;37610]Glad everyone here is safe. I sure picked a fine time to come hunting in Texas![/QUOTE]
Which part of the state are you in?
Which part of the state are you in?
18.) Dan-o - 12/28/2015
[QUOTE=DParker;37611]Which part of the state are you in?[/QUOTE]
I'm about 30 minutes west of Abilene. Snow, sleet, cold temps, High winds here.
I'm about 30 minutes west of Abilene. Snow, sleet, cold temps, High winds here.
19.) luv2bowhunt - 12/28/2015
Wow, that is horrible and amazing at the same time. Glad it worked out for you guys.:tu:
20.) Jon - 12/28/2015
Mother nature is an evil witch sometimes. This time, you were on her good side. Glad you are safe. Feel horrible for all the folks that aren't.
21.) bluecat - 12/28/2015
Saw that Dallas area was being hit and hoped you were doing okay. Glad you and your family are safe.
22.) DParker - 12/28/2015
The latest from the Rowlett Mayor's Office:
[quote]At this point, we have assessed 1,000 homes in Rowlett with 854 impacted, damage is as follows:
• 220 Affected
• 298 Minor
• 188 Major
• [B]148 homes have been totally destroyed.[/B]
At this point, assessments indicate 43 businesses were impacted:
• 38 Minor
• 5 Major
• 23 have currently ceased operations.[/quote]
And that's just my little 'burb. Garland got it even worse, and a couple of small towns NE of Rowlett took a hit too.
[quote]At this point, we have assessed 1,000 homes in Rowlett with 854 impacted, damage is as follows:
• 220 Affected
• 298 Minor
• 188 Major
• [B]148 homes have been totally destroyed.[/B]
At this point, assessments indicate 43 businesses were impacted:
• 38 Minor
• 5 Major
• 23 have currently ceased operations.[/quote]
And that's just my little 'burb. Garland got it even worse, and a couple of small towns NE of Rowlett took a hit too.
23.) Swamp Fox - 12/28/2015
Glad you're okay. Tornadoes are some scary stuff, much less being 600 yards +/- from one.
I'm not sure a lot of people know this since the Red Cross gets all the disaster relief coverage, but money and supplies donated to the Salvation Army stay in the immediate area and they do have a robust disaster (and fire) program. Some people are looking for an alternative to the Red Cross, so I thought I'd throw that out there.
I'm not sure a lot of people know this since the Red Cross gets all the disaster relief coverage, but money and supplies donated to the Salvation Army stay in the immediate area and they do have a robust disaster (and fire) program. Some people are looking for an alternative to the Red Cross, so I thought I'd throw that out there.
24.) DParker - 12/28/2015
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;37634]Glad you're okay. Tornadoes are some scary stuff, much less being 600 yards +/- from one.
I'm not sure a lot of people know this since the Red Cross gets all the disaster relief coverage, but money and supplies donated to the Salvation Army stay in the immediate area and they do have a robust disaster (and fire) program. Some people are looking for an alternative to the Red Cross, so I thought I'd throw that out there.[/QUOTE]
That's a good point...and is what I ended up doing this morning. The areas of heavy damage are still cordoned off, and we've already had emergency personnel and disaster relief organizations respond from ~20 surrounding cities. The latter are up to their eyeballs in volunteers and are turning new ones away. Material donations are in abundance, and everyone involved is being fed by the local fast-food joints...so cash to support it all is what's being asked for. I was more than happy to oblige, even though I'd really like to eventually get in and provide some physical labor assistance when they finally open things up and the weather gives everyone a break.
I'm not sure a lot of people know this since the Red Cross gets all the disaster relief coverage, but money and supplies donated to the Salvation Army stay in the immediate area and they do have a robust disaster (and fire) program. Some people are looking for an alternative to the Red Cross, so I thought I'd throw that out there.[/QUOTE]
That's a good point...and is what I ended up doing this morning. The areas of heavy damage are still cordoned off, and we've already had emergency personnel and disaster relief organizations respond from ~20 surrounding cities. The latter are up to their eyeballs in volunteers and are turning new ones away. Material donations are in abundance, and everyone involved is being fed by the local fast-food joints...so cash to support it all is what's being asked for. I was more than happy to oblige, even though I'd really like to eventually get in and provide some physical labor assistance when they finally open things up and the weather gives everyone a break.