Richardson, Texas was one of the communities that was hit hard by the October 20, 2019 tornado that cut a path through northern Dallas. Photos and videos, which you can see throughout this article, captured the destruction.
Richardson is a community of more than 100,000 people near Dallas. No deaths were reported from the tornado in Texas, but there was a lot of property damage.
“There is a significant amount of damage that has severely impacted many of our residents,” said Richardson Mayor Paul Voelker in a statement.
Just heartbreaking footage out of #Richardson, TX this morning in the wake of an overnight #tornado that ripped through the area. Fortunately, no fatalities have been reported. #TXwx
“We have mobilized every department in the City and activated all necessary mutual aid agreements with our partners in the region and state to respond and recover from this event as quickly as possible. We are also working with local power and gas utilities to support their repair efforts.”
The mayor added that he wanted to “commend the work of our first responders, both with government and with our local utilities, for their tireless work overnight to search for injured people, clear roads, repair vital utility services and for all the work that is still to come. I would also like to thank those people in our hardest hit neighborhoods for the support they are providing to their neighbors in our community’s time of need. Our combined work and community spirit will help us to overcome this challenge, and I ask everyone to seek out any opportunity where they see they can be of assistance.”
UPDATE: NOAA’s #GOES16 tracked the #lightning & #severe #storms that moved through #Texas last night, including the devastating #DallasTornado, that struck suburban #Richardson. The #tornado destroyed buildings, flipped cars, and cut power to 175K people. #dfwwx #etxwx #txwx
Here’s more video out of Richardson:
Here’s what you need to know:
Gas Mains Were Damaged & Power Lines Were Down Throughout Richardson, Texas
The above video was one of the most widely shared videos out of Richardson. The city’s statement said: “There are multiple reports of damaged gas mains and downed power lines. Anyone who comes in contact with the smell of gas should immediately vacate the area and to contact 911. All power lines should be treated as though they are active and avoided.”
Aerial shots showed the damage in Richardson. “Residents are asked to call the City’s non-emergency 24-hour response line at 972-744-4111 to report down trees or other damage,” the city said.
Videos showed the scope of the destruction. The city of Richardson reported that “Oncor reports power outages to more than 7,000 customers. Several of the areas without power include area school campuses. Residents with children attending a local school are recommended to check with their campus to see if the campus attendance schedule has been impacted.”
Maps showed the path of the Twister. “Road crews are working to clear blocked roadways of debris and to repair down traffic lights as soon as possible but major thoroughfares used by thousands of morning commuters will be closed while the repair work is underway,” the city said.
Six schools forced to close today due to damage from the Tornado. No fatalities ! It’s time to help our neighbors in Dallas, Richardson, Garland, etc.
Members of the Richardson High School baseball team were helping clean up the damage.
Armed with axes and chainsaws, members of the Richardson High School baseball team are helping clean up tornado damage. t.co/YOuOMb0A2m
People posted photos on Facebook.
The city released three maps of roads under repair. “Major roads currently closed and under repair are:
Centennial Blvd. between Bowser Rd. and Grove Rd.
Abrams Rd. between Buckingham Rd. and Park Bend Dr.
Bowser Rd. between Centennial Blvd. and Buckingham Rd.
Coit Rd. at Spring Valley Rd (open but treated as a 4-way stop).”
City of Richardson
City of Richardson
City of Richardson
Power Was Knocked Out in Richardson Schools
The Richardson School District reported that “schools in all four high school areas lost power during the storm and as of noon, power remains out at 10 schools. Network services have been restored at all schools with power. Light damage (mostly downed trees/limbs) occurred at many campuses in the Berkner and Lake Highlands HS areas and some schools in the Pearce and Richardson HS areas.”
The district continued: “More significant damage occurred at some schools, including broken windows and damage to roofs and rooftop equipment, including HVAC units. The central operations center, which includes student transportation, was without power this morning and is now operating with generators until power can be restored. RISD remains in contact with Oncor and is assessing efforts related to power, transportation, repair, and cleanup. As of noon today, no decision has been made on whether classes on Tuesday will be impacted. Follow RISD on Facebook or Twitter or monitor www.risd.org for updates.”
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