POSTED: 7:35 p.m. CDT April 17, 2002
UPDATED: 9:29 a.m. CDT April 18, 2002
FORT WORTH, Texas -- While the major damage from Tuesday's storm activity is confined to only a few neighborhoods, the tornadoes knocked out power to hundreds of North Texas homes.
Three separate tornado tracks were spawned in the storm. The first, classified as an F0, with winds from 40-72 mph, touched down briefly in the Everman/Forest Hill area of southeast Fort Worth.
Then at 5:55 p.m., at least an F2 tornado, which carries winds from 113-157 mph, hit the East Fort Worth area around Ramey, Rosedale and Lancaster streets. This was one of the hardest hit areas in the Metroplex, just south of the Handley power plant at Ramey and Loop 820.
The American Red Cross said 127 homes were damaged, 28 homes were destroyed and impossible to live in. At least 99 others had minor damage and were in need of repair. About 20 businesses were damaged and two others destroyed.
Getting Ready To Reopen
Business owners in the Handley district of East Fort Worth are also cleaning up and getting ready to reopen, if they can.
At Trader Jim's pawn shop, the building is a total loss, but all seven people inside when the storm hit escaped without a scratch and most of the pawned merchandise survived as well.
Eastside Antiques plans to pick up and reopen, and Kell's Cleaners never missed a beat and opened with a mangled roof.
Rich Borchelt of Kell's Cleaners said, "We're lucky, lucky. We had six people in here ... just happy to keep them safe"
Roofs were being replaced and electricity in the area was being restored overnight.
Handley United Methodist Church
Surveyors are still assessing the damage to the Handley United Methodist Church. A portion of the roof was ripped off, and the church day-care center was damaged in Tuesday's twister.
Volunteers spent Wednesday clearing away debris. Many of them have no affiliation with the church.
The tornado took off a portion of the sanctuary roof, stripped the entire roof off the education building and took of shingles and air conditioners on other portions of the building. Volunteers said they wouldn't quit until the job was done.
Church leaders said they would hold Sunday services either in the sanctuary or fellowship hall. However, they're not so sure the rebuilding and repairs will be done in time for a wedding scheduled at the church in two weeks.
East Fort Worth Residential Neighborhoods
The Fort Worth Fire Department says at least three people got hurt as the tornado danced across the east side, with only one person requiring a hospital visit.
TXU says the storm knocked out power to about 800 customers, and the organization hoped to have power restored to the majority of its customers Wednesday afternoon. The American Red Cross said it provided shelter to 12 victims whose homes were destroyed by the storm. Electricity crews were on Ramey Avenue just before dawn Tuesday working on power lines with six lift bucket trucks.
Volunteers from the Home Depot and Lowe's spent the majority of the day helping the people begin the rebuilding process. Both home improvement chains donated supplies to assist the rebuilding. Meanwhile the Fort Worth police and a few Good Samaritans helped get traffic through some of the tough spots.
Residents in the Bonaventure mobile home park in the 7700 block of Forest Hill Drive were assessing the damage Tuesday morning after roofs were ripped from homes and siding littered the ground. Firefighters helped neighbors cover their homes with tarps to help them make it through the night. Almost three dozen mobile homes were damaged in the storms.
Just southeast of DFW Airport, heavy street flooding in Irving left lots of cars swamped and drivers stranded. Water rose fast in low spots, including Beltline Road outside Irving Mall.
Help For The Victims
The Salvation Army and Red Cross are both on the job in East Fort Worth helping victims. Both organizations gave away food and drinks for people in need. Dinner - chicken and hamburgers - was welcomed by those who spent all day cleaning up.
"We actually drive down the streets and we encourage those folks on their roofs making their repairs to come down and have a nourishing meal with the Red Cross," Anita Foster of the American Red Cross said.
A shelter opened Tuesday night is closed because all those left homeless are now staying with family or friends.
If you would like to assist the victims of Tuesday's tornadoes, the best way is to donate to the
American Red Cross. The Red Cross is accepting donations at all locations for their disaster relief fund.
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