Hundreds Homeless as Storms Rip North Texas

Powerful thunderstorms ripped through North Texas on Monday, wrecking dozens of homes, toppling trees and forcing the cancellation of many flights in and out of Dallas.

In South Dallas, about 200 people were left homeless when a severe storm with gusting winds of about 80 mph tore into an apartment complex. It stripped roofs from dozens of apartments, throwing shingles and air conditioners onto parked cars and into the streets.

Seven people, including two babies, were hurt by flying debris, and one man broke his leg, but there were no life-threatening injuries.

Some residents said a tornado briefly emerged from the storm and battered the neighborhood.

“We lost everything. It’s all ruined,” said Kimberly Jones, whose family joined dozens of others at temporary shelters after their apartment was seriously damaged.

Many North Texas counties were put on a tornado warning, but rescue services said there were no reports of deaths or serious injuries.

American Airlines had to cancel about 300 flights, or 30% of its daily schedule, in and out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and other American flights ran up to four hours late. “It has not been a good operating day,” airline spokesman Tim Smith said.

Other airlines operating out of Dallas-Fort Worth were also forced to cancel flights as delays mounted, but the situation was better at Dallas’ smaller Love Field airport.

The storms dumped 4 inches of rain in some areas and flash floods caused traffic chaos in Dallas, Fort Worth and neighboring towns. Police reported more than 300 weather-related car accidents in Dallas alone, and further damage to vehicles and homes was caused by pounding, baseball-sized hail.

Electric company officials said about 23,000 homes in and around Dallas suffered power outages, and repair crews were out restoring lines.

A separate storm dumped up to 18 inches of rain in parts of New England Monday, leading the governors of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine to declare states of emergency in flood-ravaged areas. The storm has killed at least four people and forced evacuations in at least five states since Saturday.