A major winter storm that was expected to bring heavy snow, strong winds and ice to the northern Plains and Upper Midwest roared through North Texas on Tuesday morning, creating multiple tornado warnings and causing damage near Decatur, North Richland Hills and Grapevine before moving east.

The National Weather Service confirmed later Tuesday that at least five tornadoes hit the region and said there might have been as many as 12. That information is preliminary and based on eyewitnesses and video evidence. Storm damage surveys are ongoing and will continue Wednesday.

The weather service said one completed storm survey confirmed an EF-2 tornado left a long track of damage through Wise County, producing winds up to 125 mph.

Three tornadoes — two EF-0s and an EF-1 — touched down near the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Tarrant County. “While all from the same parent storm, video evidence showed the tornadoes lifting and reforming and there was a discontinuous damage track,” the NWS said in a tweet. “Yes, each touchdown counts as a separate tornado.” Those tornadoes are believed to have caused the damage in North Richland Hills and Grapevine.

A separate tornado was confirmed west of Paris.

Grapevine

Damage was visible at multiple locations in Grapevine from a tornado. Grapevine police said five injured people were taken to hospitals and authorities were waiting for updates on their conditions.

Grapevine Mills Mall, Walmart and Sam’s Club were all closed for the day due to damage, Grapevine police said, and they were assessing damage in other areas. Grapevine Middle School was evacuated, and damage was reported at the city’s service center, police said.

Ron Moore works at a UPS Store in a shopping center at 1527 State Highway 114, across from Sam’s Club in Grapevine.

He stepped outside as storm sirens sounded, and the sky turned black. He thought it might be hailing.

Moore saw debris rising in the air — “big chunks” — and transformers blowing as he looked toward the Mustang Elite Car Wash. He backed into the store and the doors were sucked open, he said.

“It was pouring like a firehose,” he said.

Moore had been watching the weather radar and thought the storm would miss them. He was in the store with two others at the time.

Moore said he’s seen tornadoes before. “It’s a thing to see when you’re not in it,” he said.

The shopping center where Moore works, like the CubeStorage next door, wasn’t damaged. “We’re pretty lucky,” he said.

Metal roofing was peeled off of a vacant convenience store on Ira E. Woods Avenue. Nearby, a wall was destroyed at Mustang Elite Car Wash. Employees there said no one was hurt.

Damage was also reported at Sam’s Club, at 1701 W. State Highway 114, about a half mile away from the car wash. About a dozen police, fire and utility vehicles could be seen there Tuesday morning.

An orange trailer, twisted and its roof partially peeled off, was being towed from the parking lot between Walmart and Sam’s Club. Nearby, a 25-foot-tall live oak tree was uprooted in a median and another tree was snapped in half.

Video captured the tornado crossing State Highway 114 near Baylor Scott and White Medical Center hospital shortly after 8:40 a.m., the National Weather Service said.

A trained spotter reported damage to commercial buildings on the west side of Grapevine, according to the weather service. Photos and video posted to social media showed some damage to the roof at Sam’s Club. At Grapevine Mills, part of the facade was torn away from the front of Burlington Coat Factory. Photos also show a wrecked tractor-trailer near Sam’s Club building and debris on nearby railroad tracks.

The Grapevine-Colleyville school district said the fire department responded to Grapevine Middle School because of the smell of natural gas outside the middle school’s athletic wing. School officials also reported roof damage and a water leak at the middle school.

“Gas was turned off, and everyone was moved from that portion of the building,” the district said in a tweet. “All students and staff are safe.”

Students were evacuated from the middle school to First United Methodist Church for parents to pick them up, district officials said.

“We are working with fire and police to conduct an orderly evacuation of GMS,” the district posted about 10:15 a.m.

The Grapevine-Colleyville district also reported power outages at Grapevine Middle and Silver Lake, Dove and Cannon Elementary schools.

However, the power was still out at Dove and Cannon Elementary schools, and the schools planned an early release at noon for parents who could pick up their children. Staff will remain on campus for students who remain at the school.

Many trees were uprooted at Grapevine Cemetery, across the street from Silver Lake Elementary School.

A portion of eastbound Texas 114 from Southlake into Grapevine was closed before Texas 121, and several side streets also were closed. Grapevine police asked residents to avoid the areas of Texas 26/114 West, 3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway, and Dove Loop/Shady Brook Drive, and to use caution while driving because of debris and downed power lines.

The REC of Grapevine was open and welcoming anyone who temporarily lost power. This includes anyone who needs to charge a device or medical equipment. The REC is open until 10 p.m. and is a safe place for people to stay until closing, police said.

North Richland Hills

Storm damage assessments are taking place across North Richland Hills, where first responders have reported about 20 houses and businesses with damage, the police department said in a news release.

“That number may rise over the next few hours,” North Richland Hills police said about 11:30 a.m.

There haven’t been any reported injuries.

The preliminary line of damage spans about two miles from around Smithfield/Starnes northeast to Precinct Line/North Tarrant. Fire Station One reported seeing rotation of a tornado just south of the station as well as hearing a continuous rumbling sound when a tornado warning was activated about 8:15 a.m.

Jeff and Dawn Golightly, who live on Sayers Lane, were both at work and their kids were at school when the storm ripped through their neighborhood.

Dawn Golightly said they were immediately scared when they got a call about the damage to their roof that ripped a hole through their attic. She was worried because their two dogs and cat were home alone. She was supposed to catch a flight out of town Tuesday, but missed it to instead focus on cleaning up the damage.

Across the street, Susan Walls’ carport was also damaged, but thankfully there was no damage to her house, she said. She was also at work and watched the storm hit her neighborhood from her Nest security camera.

“I panicked because I have animals. I could see the house across the street, but I couldn’t see my own house,” Walls said. “Fortunately the fire department was already here checking everything out, and I was able to speak to them through the Nest camera. They let me know the house was okay. It was just the garage and the fences.”

Walls said she heard from a firefighter that they had seen a tornado skipping and dropping as it made its way east.

Dan Ahler was eating breakfast when he found out about the storm. Ironically, the roof of his roofing and construction business — Ahler’s Roofing and Construction — was damaged. A crew of his own workers was able to start fixing the roof right away because they didn’t have any other jobs scheduled due to the heavy winds. He said the roof repairs should be finished Tuesday or Wednesday.

Ahler rents out a unit in his building to Glinda Bennett, owner of home goods store Fill Your Nest. Bennett got to the building before Ahler.

“I was shocked this morning,” Bennett said. “When I pulled up, I saw the fire trucks and all the policemen, and I was like, ‘Please, Lord.’ Then, I looked and saw a van lying on its side outside.”

When she went inside, she saw water at least an inch and a half thick pooling on the floor at risk of damaging computers and other electronic devices.

“We were spared,” Bennett said. “It could have been a lot worse.”

Though Bennett has lived in Texas her whole life, she felt unprepared to encounter a tornado personally.

“Hearing we got hit, I was like, ‘What? That does not make sense.’ It was crazy. I’ve heard of tornadoes in the spring and the summer but not in December.”

Homeowners and businesses are encouraged to report storm damage to the Texas Division of Emergency Management at damage.tdem.texas.gov.

North Richland Hills residents who need any resources beyond reporting damage can call the non-emergency number at 817-281-1000.

“The city is looking into the damage reports to determine what needs may arise regarding large trash and debris from the storm,” the police department said. “An update will be provided as quickly as possible to our community members as the cleanup continues. If your trash has blown down the street, please help your neighbors and return trashcans. Republic Services is running today; however, there may be delays in getting to some of the neighborhoods.”

Tornado warnings

At one point Tuesday morning, tornado warnings were in effect for Tarrant, Wise, Parker, Hood and surrounding counties before the storms moved east toward Dallas County.

Fort Worth police said they had not received any reports of storm damage in the city Tuesday morning.

There were reports of a funnel cloud seen in the Sansom Park and River Oaks areas, according to Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson Kristen O’Hare, but few reports of damage other than downed trees and power lines.

There were no reports of structural damage to homes or businesses in River Oaks, she said.

A Sansom Park official said that a small business in the 5400 block of Urban View had some damage. The Sansom Park fire chief and the Division of Emergency Management representative for Tarrant County confirmed one home was heavily damaged in the storm.

People at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth also reported seeing a tornado, but no damage was reported there, O”Hare said.

The Federal Aviation Administration halted arriving flights to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Tuesday morning as a result of the storms.

Students and staff in North Texas school districts moved to shelter protocol as a precaution, districts said on their websites and social media.

Decatur, other damage reports

In Wise County, damage to homes was reported near FM 730 and FM 2264 near Decatur, and a semi truck was overturned on U.S. 287 in Decatur.

Isabella Gonzalez told the Star-Telegram about damage to her home.

“That’s pretty scary. I mean, I was getting ready for work and I had told my mom, ‘I’m gonna take a shower real quick so I can get ready for work’,” Isabella Gonzalez said. “I had just woken up my kiddos and they were getting ready for school. It was about seven in the morning. All of a sudden, I heard like a big, like, boom. And then …”

The power went out. Her mom, Bertha, screamed. Everything went black and the windows in the house started breaking. A portion of the roof had been ripped off. Rain was pouring in.

“The house was shaking and the restroom, like the windows, were making a really loud noise,” Isabella Gonzalez said. “And then I heard, like all the windows shattering in the kitchen. And then I just grabbed onto the bar that was in the restroom.”

Gonzalez stood outside her home — at least what remained of it — speaking to a gaggle of reporters barely two hours after the tornado hit. Tree limbs were strewn across the front yard. A child’s bicycle sat on its side next to a cabinet shelf. Yesterday’s mail was still in the mailbox untouched.

Across FM 730 from the Gonzalez home, Cecily Pueges’ ranch was spared. Just the trees were touched, a few literally snapped in two. A large live oak tree sitting on its side did not survive the tornado.

In Parker County, the weather service received reports of damage to commercial buildings north of Interstate 20 and southwest of Weatherford and multiple 18-wheelers flipped over near Interstate 20 and Dennis Road. Video also showed damage to trees in the area.

In Jack County, the weather service received reports of barns damaged along Highway 281 southeast of Jacksboro.

In Palo Pinto County, there were reports of structural damage and tree damage south of I-20 in Santo.

In Collin County, there were reports of damage to mobile homes in Blue Ridge near Highway 78 and a shopping center in Plano.

Quarter-size hail was reported in Tarrant County and Dallas County.

A tornado watch was in effect for the region until 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Storm Reports

This map contains continuously updated storm reports and damage from the National Weather Service for the past 48 hours. Reports include tornado, wind storm and hail storm reports. The map also includes tornado reports for the past week and recent rainfall accumulations. Sources: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Esri.

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Steve Wilson swilson@star-telegram.com

Storm photos and social posts from around North Texas

Power outages

Oncor was reporting 137 active outages across North Texas as of about 5 p.m., affecting more than 4,000 customers. Check your status here.

Weather watches and warnings

A live data feed from the National Weather Service containing official weather warnings, watches, and advisory statements. Tap warning areas for more details. Sources: NOAA, National Weather Service, NOAA GeoPlatform and Esri.

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Steve Wilson swilson@star-telegram.com

Electric outages Dallas - Fort Worth vicinity

Here is Oncor's power outages map. Outage information is sent from Oncor to the outage map every 10 minutes. Source: stormcenter.oncor.com

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Star-Telegram

Star-Telegram staff Elizabeth Campbell and Amy McDaniel contributed to this report.