Did a tornado tear through Weatherford? Here’s what the National Weather Service says
Weatherford officials said Friday that the wind circulation and damage from Thursday’s storm indicated there might have been a tornado, but the National Weather Service told the Star-Telegram that high winds were likely responsible.
The storm cut a swath of damage from southwest to northeast of downtown, said city spokesperson Blake Rexroat.
Trees were uprooted, a series of billboards north of downtown blew over, and copper paneling was ripped from Weatherford’s city hall roof.
Five or six locations in Parker County reported straight line winds between 80 and 90 mph, said Parker County Fire Marshal Sean Hughes.
Buildings with metal roofs seemed to have sustained the most damage, Hughes said.
A National Weather Service spokesperson told the Star-Telegram on Friday morning that a tornado has not been confirmed in Weatherford and the weather service didn’t plan to send its staff to the area to assess damage.
Still, Weatherford’s public safety department is requesting an in-person assessment given the large amount of damage from Thursday’s storm, Rexroat said.
The city is using drones to assess the damage.
NWS meteorologist Daniel Huckaby said he believes the damage was caused by straight line winds.
“It was bad, but it could have been a lot worse,” said Hughes.
The city has set up two brush drop-off locations and has waived permit fees for residents who need to fix damage from the storm.
The Weatherford school district canceled classes because of power outages, debris on roads and minor damage to some campuses.
A severe thunderstorm roared through Parker County about 5 p.m. Thursday, with 70 mph winds and quarter-size hail.
Electricity had been restored Friday morning to all but 60 of the 10,000 customers who lost power, Rexroat said.
Twelve people from two apartment complexes were displaced but were able to find temporary shelter, Rexroat said.
Logan Bishop, who lives at the Saddle Ridge Apartments, said he came home from work Thursday evening to see a dip forming in the ceiling of his second floor apartment.
“I stuck my finger in it and then shortly after it all started coming down and whatnot,” he said. “I just stayed here, ate Taco Bell and watched it fall.”
Bishop said he could hear the leak coming through the roof, but had no clue about the extent of the damage until his popcorn ceiling started to buckle.
He moved into another unit in the complex Friday, but had to maneuver his furniture around a pile of wet drywall and insulation in his living room. It sat under a roughly four foot rectangular hole in the ceiling.
