The storm caused heavy damage in northern Texas

Strong winds and heavy rains lashed North Texas on Tuesday morning, causing widespread damage across the region and knocking out power to thousands of homes.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins issued a disaster declaration Tuesday morning, saying it could take several days for power to return to some locations.

More information on power cuts

We may not be done yet. Another round of storms is expected overnight and more bad weather is possible later in the week.

North Texas Storm Damage

The early morning storm caught North Texans by surprise.

The storm’s strong winds nearly demolished a building near Harry Hines in Dallas. And people had to deal not just with damaging winds, but with heavy water flows as well. Heavy rainfall caused flash flooding on major roads, causing major traffic disruptions.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins has already issued a disaster declaration to expedite the rebuilding process.

Several FOX 4 viewers shared photos and videos of what they saw.

Damage in Dallas

The worst of the weather inside Dallas city limits started before dawn. Many North Texans woke up to strong winds and rain.

Amanda Murski’s Range Rover was parked in the driveway of her daughter’s home when it was crushed under a huge tree that was uprooted by strong winds.

“It was unbelievable, the winds were crazy. Unbelievable,” she said. “I just said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ I said, ‘Are you OK?’ And she said yes. So it’s just a vehicle. It’s OK.”

Crews were able to get the car out by noon. Murski believes the car is completely destroyed.

Dallas Fire-Rescue reported that strong winds blew off part of the roof of a building on Harry Hines Boulevard, prompting multiple calls to 911. No one was injured, but debris was scattered across the parking lot.

In the meantime, many residents have taken to cleaning up.

Michael Abtahi owns several rental properties in Highland Park. He is waiting for his landscapers to remove all the fallen tree branches.

The Dallas Zoo also decided to close Tuesday because of the damage.

Garland damage

Garland was the hardest-hit area in Dallas County on Tuesday morning.

The heavy rainfall caused dangerous flooding on Route 635. Some trees fell on homes and cars.

Randy Phipps and his wife woke up to the sound of the storm Tuesday morning. He said they heard a bang and went outside to see a large tree down in the street. When they came back inside, they saw a tree had fallen on their house.

“She got in the tub, and I was standing in the hallway looking around. We heard a second explosion, and everything collapsed,” he recalled. “We had walked through that door maybe two minutes before it happened.”

Strong winds before sunrise downed power lines and trees, leaving thousands of people in Dallas County without power.

City crews quickly began working to remove trees that had fallen on streets. Garland Power & Light began repairing power lines.

Flash flooding occurred on 635 and residential streets in Garland.

The storm forced Garland ISD to close all schools.

Phipps expressed gratitude that there were no reports of any major injuries.

“I don’t really care because she’s OK. I’m OK,” he said. “Nobody’s hurt. Nobody’s killed. There’s just property damage.”

Richardson/Plano damage

The city of Plano is trying to send a message to residents that it could take several days to restore power. Crews were working throughout the afternoon to make repairs.

People in the city are being urged to try to find alternative, safer places to stay as the heat and humidity continue.

People at the High Oak Apartments in Richardson said they were getting ready for work when strong winds began blowing.

Juan Rodriguez says debris hit his head, causing a concussion. He took refuge at a neighbor’s house.

“As soon as I closed the door, the ceiling just fell down. I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do. Sheet rock, wood, everything. A big piece of wood came down on top of me. I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “I could have lost an eye.”

Whit Smith lives nearby.

“If I knew something was coming in, I would go down to the laundromat to take shelter,” he said. “Today, it came out of nowhere. It was really bad, really windy. I opened the door and thought, I can’t go out now.”

Elizabeth Rojo was at home with her one-year-old child and was also getting ready for work.

“I went into my sister’s room, and the ceiling fell in,” she recalled. “I was thinking, ‘Oh my God!'”

Rojo says he lost almost everything.

“We have nothing now. Just our cars,” she said.

The Richardson Fire Department worked to remove large trees from streets, while city sanitation crews were directed to remove smaller debris.

High winds blew off parts of the metal roof at DiMasi’s Mediterranean Buffet on Campbell Road in Richardson. A manager said they were working quickly to put up tarps before more storms arrived.

The roof trapped two cars at a nearby McDonald’s.

In Plano, a portion of Prestonwood Baptist’s worship center was vandalized.

“The church building in Plano was damaged very badly this morning. We lost a portion of the building. The building is flooded. It could have been worse,” said Pastor Jack Graham. “But because of the quick actions of the facilities team, security and our staff, we kept the damage to a minimum.”

Within a few hours, hundreds of people came forward to help in the clean-up effort.

Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries in Richardson or Plano.

“We pray for those who have lost their lives, their families and their homes in these storms,” ​​Graham said. “As far as the church is concerned, this is all fixable.”

Hurricane Status in North Texas

The strongest winds in this morning’s storm occurred in the colony, where gusts reached 95 mph.

Wind gusts of 77 mph were reported at DFW Airport, and 76 mph were reported at Love Field.

Several 18-wheelers were overturned due to the high winds.

DFW, Love Field flight delays, cancellations

More than 200 flights from DFW and 100 from Love Field had been canceled as of Tuesday afternoon, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.

Hundreds of other programs were delayed.

Schools, events cancelled

Garland ISD decided to close all schools and offices on Tuesday due to the inclement weather.

DeSoto ISD has announced that the start of school is being delayed by two hours due to a temporary power disruption on campus.

Dallas ISD students are already out for summer vacation. But because of the weather, the district canceled all summer activities, programs, camps and athletics on Tuesday.

More than 60 schools are without power. All DISD phones are down and staff are working to get them back on.

The school district is asking all non-essential employees to work from home for the time being.

Dallas Weather Forecast

The morning storm was the first of two possible storms expected on Tuesday.

A second storm is expected Wednesday night into the morning, especially west and south of the DFW area. These storms could also be severe.

The biggest concerns on Tuesday night are damaging winds and large hail, but a tornado could also occur in an isolated location.

Be sure to have multiple ways to receive bad weather warnings at night.

Live Radar – North Texas

7-day forecast

The 7-day forecast has a high chance of thunderstorms. Rain is expected all week.