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Large storm brings twisters, floods, now snow and ice Texas cleans up after twisters, snow and ice pelt Midwest
(about 2 hours later)
GARLAND, Texas — Residents surveyed the destruction from deadly tornadoes in North Texas as the same storm system brought winter woes to the Midwest on Monday, amplifying flooding that’s blamed for more than a dozen deaths and prompting hundreds of flight cancellations. GARLAND, Texas — Jacqui Gordon spent Monday sifting through the debris that had been her home, searching for old family photographs — especially of her father, who died two years ago.
At least 11 people died and dozens were injured in the tornadoes that swept through the Dallas area on Saturday and caused substantial damage. That, plus flooding in Missouri and Illinois, were the latest in a succession of severe weather events across the country in the last week that led to dozens of deaths. She and nine others were enjoying a holiday gathering when winds began to rattle her home in suburban Dallas. They all dashed into closets and suffered only bumps and bruises, but Gordon’s roof was torn away and her house destroyed.
The country’s midsection was seeing a range of precipitation, including heavy snow, ice and blustery winds in parts of several states and heavy rain in already-waterlogged parts of Missouri and Arkansas. “I just got divorced, and this is all I had,” she said.
The system caused more than 1,400 flights to be canceled — nearly half of which were at Chicago’s two main airports — and 2,600 to be delayed, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. A typical day sees about 150 cancelations and 4,000 delays. At least 11 people died and dozens were injured in the tornadoes that swept through the Dallas area Saturday. Snow from New Mexico through the Midwest, plus flooding in Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois, added to the succession of severe weather events across the country in the last week that led to about four dozen deaths.
Authorities in Georgia said they recovered the body of a man whose car was swept away when floodwaters overtook it. They also recovered a second body, a death they said later Monday did not appear to be storm-related. With rain all day Sunday keeping people away, people in the Dallas area worked on a dreary and frigid Monday to salvage what they could, with the American Red Cross distributing items like tarps, rakes and work gloves to help them.
In North Texas, local officials estimated as many as 1,450 homes were damaged or destroyed by at least nine tornadoes. “Families will want to sift, they’ll want to sort and salvage. They’ll want to find those mementoes from their lives,” American Red Cross spokeswoman Anita Foster said.
“This is a huge impact on our community and we’re all suffering,” Garland Police Lt. Pedro Barineau said of the suburb about 20 miles northeast of Dallas, where eight people died, 15 were injured and about 600 structures, mostly single-family homes, were damaged. The storm brought heavy snow, ice and blustery winds to several states in the nation’s midsection, as well as heavy rain in already-waterlogged areas.
In nearby Rowlett, City Manager Brian Funderburk said Sunday that 23 people were injured, but that there were no deaths and no reports of missing people. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Sunday night that as many as 600 homes were damaged in Rowlett. More than 2,100 flights across the U.S. were canceled Monday — more than half of them at Chicago’s two main airports — and 3,700 were delayed, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. A typical day sees about 150 cancellations and 4,000 delays.
Three people died in Collin County, about 45 miles northeast of Dallas, according to sheriff’s deputy Chris Havey, although the circumstances were not immediately clear. Highways turned icy and treacherous in New Mexico, while Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency after blizzard conditions affected parts of the state and heavy rains fell as well. Officials in Arkansas said a 31-year-old man died in a storm-related drowning.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made disaster declarations Sunday for four counties — Dallas, Collin, Rockwall and Ellis — and warned that the number of victims could rise. Several inches of rain caused flooding in Illinois and Missouri, where Gov. Jay Nixon also declared a state of emergency. Nixon says the state’s death toll from days of pounding rainfall has risen to 10, and he expects that number to grow.
The American Red Cross was fanning out in the Dallas area to distribute supplies including tarps, shovels, rakes and trash bags. Chris and Sheila Carter were staying at a Red Cross shelter in Garland with their 22-year-old son. They live in an apartment complex there, where they rode out the storm. Their ceiling caved in and they had some windows broken out, with water leaking in after. The Mississippi River neared a potential record crest, after an unusual amount of late-fall rain had the river already high before torrential downpours that began Saturday.
“It sounded like a train was on the roof for five or six minutes,” Chris Carter said. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said Monday the state is seeking a federal disaster declaration for some or all of the seven counties hit by a tornado last week. Authorities in Georgia said they recovered the body of a man whose car was swept away when floodwaters overtook it.
Many roads across West Texas and the Panhandle were still closed, with long delays expected. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made disaster declarations Sunday for four counties — Dallas, Collin, Rockwall and Ellis. Officials estimated as many as 1,450 homes in North Texas were damaged or destroyed by at least nine tornadoes.
The National Weather Service has said an EF-4 tornado, which is the second-most powerful with winds up to more than 200 mph, hit Garland. Eight people died there, 15 were injured and more than 600 structures, mostly single-family homes, were damaged.
“I’ve never seen anything like this, with this scale of destruction,” Police Chief Mitch Bates said Monday.
He said authorities believe all eight of the tornado victims there, which included a 1-year-old, died when their vehicles were thrown from overpasses in the area of Interstate 30 and the George Bush Turnpike, a major route in the region.
Three people died in Collin County, about 45 miles northeast of Dallas, according to sheriff’s deputy Chris Havey.
Many roads across West Texas and the Panhandle were still closed due to snow-packed roads and ice, with long delays expected.
Interstate 40, the main east-west highway across the Panhandle, reopened Monday morning. Traffic had been at a standstill for hours in West Texas where Interstate 10 splits into Interstate 20, before it began slowly moving Monday. Officials said traffic became snarled Sunday night and was backed up for about 13 miles.Interstate 40, the main east-west highway across the Panhandle, reopened Monday morning. Traffic had been at a standstill for hours in West Texas where Interstate 10 splits into Interstate 20, before it began slowly moving Monday. Officials said traffic became snarled Sunday night and was backed up for about 13 miles.
Vito Randazzo of California sat on I-10 for about 13 hours. “Everybody’s just sleeping in their cars,” said Randazzo, who added that the roadway was snow-packed and icy. “I can’t believe the road was left in this condition.” Around 9 a.m. Monday he was able to see to drive across a median and get onto a service road. Vito Randazzo of California sat on I-10 for about 13 hours. “Everybody’s just sleeping in their cars,” said Randazzo. “I can’t believe the road was left in this condition.” Around 9 a.m. Monday he was able to see to drive across a median and get onto a service road.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency after blizzard conditions affected the western and central parts of the state and up to a foot of rain fell in the southern and eastern sections. State emergency officials say more than 50 people have been injured and about 175,000 are without power. A shopping mall in Lubbock, which got about a foot of snow, was closed after heavy snow collapsed part of the center’s roof. No injuries were reported.
To the northeast, several inches of rain caused flooding in Illinois and Missouri, where Gov. Jay Nixon also declared a state of emergency. Nixon says the state’s death toll from days of pounding rainfall has risen to 10, and he expects that number to grow. State officials say there have been more than 200 road closures statewide.
Over the weekend, six people died when two separate vehicles drove into flooded roadways in south-central Missouri, Pulaski County Sheriff Ronald Long said; four of them were international soldiers temporarily stationed at an Army base. Greene County authorities said two fatalities there were associated with the flooding.
Residents in and around the small St. Louis-area town of West Alton were evacuating as the Mississippi River nears a potential record crest. An unusual amount of late-fall rain had the river already high before torrential downpours that began Saturday. Some parts of eastern Missouri have received 6 inches of rain or more over the past three days.
In southern Illinois, authorities said three adults and two children drowned Saturday when the vehicle they were riding in was swept away and sank in a rain-swollen creek.
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Associated Press reporters Scott Mayerowitz in New York; Jamie Stengle in Dallas; Michael Graczyk in Houston; Paul J. Weber in Austin, Texas; Maria Sudekum in Kansas City, Missouri; and Jill Bleed in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed to this report. Associated Press reporters Scott Mayerowitz in New York; Jamie Stengle in Dallas; Michael Graczyk in Houston; Paul J. Weber in Austin, Texas; and Jill Bleed in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed to this report.
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This story has been corrected to show that a third of the canceled flights are in Chicago, not at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. This story has corrected the percentage of cancelled flights in Chicago.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.