A tornado rammed through Dallas overnight, destroying buildings and cars, and cutting power to more than 145,000 homes

Alexandra Ma
Updated
dallas tornado
dallas tornado

Philip Ellis via Reuters

  • A tornado ripped through northern Dallas around 9:30 p.m. local time Sunday night.

  • No serious injuries or deaths have been reported so far, but buildings have been completely destroyed.

  • More than 145,000 households and businesses are experiencing power cuts, and schools have been shut down.

  • Photos and videos show silhouettes of the tornado striking the city, and debris strewn everywhere.

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A tornado rammed through northern Dallas on Sunday night, collapsing buildings and cutting power to more than 145,000 households and businesses.

The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed sighting of the tornado at 9:27 p.m. local time (10:27 p.m. EDT) on Sunday and has since continued to warn of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in Texas and neighboring Arkansas.

The tornado made landfall near Love Field Airport and moved northeastward through the city, the Associated Press and NBC reported. It touched down amid severe thunderstorms and lightning across the region.

The video below shows the silhouette of the tornado during lightning as seen from Rockwall County, northeast of Dallas:

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1186113921582845952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Watching #tornado from #Rockwall pic.twitter.com/JrdorhcUtO

No serious injuries or deaths have yet been reported, but photos and videos uploaded to social media show collapsed power lines, and entire houses and businesses being destroyed.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1186106245054455808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Pictures of tornado damage in north Dallas from Nick Busby of Live Storm Chasing. pic.twitter.com/UZjp12TnSg Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1186139486612275207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
This is Iglesias Emanuela church. Completely destroyed. Many members are going inside to salvage, despite it being unsafe. Other members out here just sobbing. pic.twitter.com/tLq8w8jkKT Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1186148001053577216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Major damage from the tornado in Dallas at the Home Depot on Forest Ln. @weatherchannel @TWCChrisBruin #TXwx pic.twitter.com/BUjOgjOXFZ Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1186182162522918912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
VIDEO: Terrifying video of Dallas tornado pic.twitter.com/SHjKifR0K3 Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1186112856388976643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
At Walnut Hill and Monroe. (Photo by @HarryWilonsky) pic.twitter.com/kHKAvsqtpL

The Texas' Loop 12 state highway was severely impacted by the weather, with cars being forced to weave through debris and massive cars being "wrecked," tweeted journalist Marjorie Owens, citing a source who was on the highway.

"Building half collapsed, an 18-wheeler was in half, a small gray, 4-door car with back window blown out," Vicky Castillo said, according to Owens.

"Lights were out. Debris everywhere on the ground. We had to drive slowly thru it as if we were in a horror movie."

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1186114712565620737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Vicky Castillo sent images of major damage, wrecked 18-wheelers on Loop 12 in Dallas after tornado reported around Dallas Love Field. pic.twitter.com/oQiCDeK4Mi

However, the city has sustained a large amount of damage, which includes:

  • Some 145,564 customers across Texas have lost power, the state's Oncor electric company said at 3:20 a.m. Monday. It hopes to restore power to most of them by Monday morning.

  • About 35 traffic lights have lost power or connection, the City of Dallas said as of 12:30 a.m. Monday.

  • There are reports of gas leaks in the city's north, the city said.

  • Four homes have been left totally uninhabitable, the Associated Press reported.

  • Six schools in the area are closed on Monday after their campuses "sustained extensive damage," the Dallas Independent School District tweeted.

  • Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport tweeted that it has closed its airplane ramps amid lightning warnings.

Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, live in north Dallas but are safe, NBC News cited a spokesperson as saying.

The NWS has lifted all its tornado warnings, but issued a tornado watch for northeastern Texas, southwestern Arkansas, and northwestern Louisiana at 3:30 a.m. CDT (4:30 a.m. EDT) on Monday.

The NWS is also warning of severe thunderstorm across the same areas, and said tornadoes "can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms."

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