National Weather Service Confirms 4 Tornadoes Hit North Texas

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A National Weather Service storm survey team has confirmed that at least four tornadoes struck rural areas south and east of Dallas and Fort Worth on April 11. A line of savage thunderstorms packing damaging winds and spawning the tornadoes caused scattered but severe destruction around North Texas.

The American Red Cross said the storms destroyed or heavily damaged 15 homes. An additional 188 suffered minor damage. No injuries were reported.

According to a statement from the NWS, a twister with wind speeds estimated at 100-110 mph damaged five homes, one severely, just after 1 a.m. on April 11 two miles northwest of Rio Vista, about 30 miles south of Fort Worth.

About the same time and seven miles to the north, a tornado touched down just west of Alvarado, packing winds estimated around 90 mph. About 20 homes in Alvarado, about 20 miles south of Fort Worth, were damaged to some extent, said Jack Snow, Johnson County emergency management coordinator.

About an hour later, a tornado with winds of about 100 mph hit the north side of Forney, 18 miles east of Dallas. Four homes received what City Manager Brian Brooks called “significant damage” to their roofs, and a large truck stop sign was toppled.

Also, Waxahachie, about 30 miles south of Dallas, experienced straight-line winds of 80 mph about 1:44 a.m.

John Rodgers, Waxahachie Fire Department battalion chief, reported “sporadic structural damage all over the city,” with the roofs of several businesses downtown blown off and the roof of a hotel north of the city showing damage.

The storm also damaged Stelco Industries, a powder-coating business on Interstate 35E in Waxahachie.

Then, a tornado with winds estimated at 100-110 mph hit about 2:30 a.m. on April 11 near the Cash community, about 40 miles northeast of Dallas. Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks tells the Greenville Herald-Banner that six to eight homes were destroyed or severely damaged in the community of about 50 residents.

By midnight, Oncor said it had restored service to all but 36,000 of the more than 90,000 customers who lost power in the storms.