Wednesday, April 17, 2002

Tornadoes blast Fort Worth, Arlington
By ANGELA K. BROWN
Associated Press

FORT WORTH, Texas — Tornadoes and strong storms slammed into parts of North Texas Tuesday night, demolishing homes, ripping the roof from a church and snarling air and ground traffic.

Roofs were ripped off houses and businesses, debris covered yards, telephone poles slanted downward, and power was out in some areas.

Ten children in daycare at Handley United Methodist Church in Fort Worth got a scare when the storm hit. They crouched in the hallway of the administrative building, and no one was injured.

But the tornado left a gaping hole in the high, peaking roof of the 1961 church, leaving the sanctuary visible from the outside. As word spread of the damage, about 50 members gathered to nail plywood boards over holes where stained glass windows had been and put plastic tarp over naked patches on the roof.

Pat Svacina, spokesman for the city of Fort Worth, said a few people were transported to the hospital, but no life-threatening injuries were reported.
He said damage was reported in three areas of the city. Eighteen to 20 mobile homes were damaged in a mobile home park in south Fort Worth and at least six houses were damaged in another area.

Svacina said 25 vehicles were involved in a chain reaction accident on West Freeway where high water was reported.

Fort Worth Police Department spokesman Duane Paul said police blocked several roads due to concerns of gas leaks. He said there were few injuries because many people in the area weren’t home during the storm.

Tornadoes also flattened some homes in a subdivision in Arlington, as well as some buildings near a power plant in Arlington.

Arlington police Sgt. James Hawthorne said police were checking for damage. He said there were no reports of injuries.

“I know that we had officers say there were tornadoes down, debris flying,” he said.

Hawthorne said he didn’t know how much damage might have occurred.
Two tornadoes touched down briefly in Johnson County, but no damage was reported, said Sheriff Bob Alford. The storm, marked by intense hail and rain, was moving toward the town of Cleburne, where officers were urging residents to take cover, he said.

DFW airport spokesman Ken Capps said the airport halted incoming and outgoing flights for about 45 minutes, and people working in two business towers at the airport were moved downstairs as a precaution. Passengers in all four terminals were safe, he said.

No estimates for the cost of the damage were available Tuesday night.
The storms began to develop late in the afternoon south of Fort Worth and took aim on the metropolitan area during the rush hour.


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TCU Daily Skiff © 2002


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