Walmart decides fate of tornado-ravaged Sam’s Club in Tarrant County

Jenny Rudolph

A Sam’s Club damaged during the widespread tornado outbreak across North Texas in December will be shuttered permanently.

“After careful consideration and a thorough damage assessment, we have made the difficult business decision to close our Grapevine, Texas, location that incurred extensive damage during the storm last December,” said Sam’s Club representative David Schrag. “This decision aligns with the long-term growth strategy for our company.”

A probable tornado twisted a truck trailer in a parking lot between Walmart and Sam’s Club in Grapevine on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022.
A probable tornado twisted a truck trailer in a parking lot between Walmart and Sam’s Club in Grapevine on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022.

At least five people were injured in Grapevine by the outbreak on Dec. 13, which also damaged Grapevine Middle School. In North Richland Hills, 20 homes and businesses were damaged. And in Wise County, six people hung on for their lives when a twister ripped through their home.

At least 16 tornadoes were confirmed across North Texas, six of them in Tarrant County.

The Sam’s Club at 1701 W. State Hwy. 114 opened in 2003, Schrag said. It was between a Walmart Supercenter and Grapevine’s Baylor Scott & White Medical Center.

Since the initial damage, employees at the Sam’s Club have worked at nearby stores temporarily. Now that the store is permanently closed, the retailer is looking to place employees who want to keep working at Sam’s Club.

A tornado touched down just south of Decatur, Texas, along FM 730 early morning Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, tearing the roof off of a home and ripping trees in half. Debris was strewn across the highway.
A tornado touched down just south of Decatur, Texas, along FM 730 early morning Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, tearing the roof off of a home and ripping trees in half. Debris was strewn across the highway.

Severance will be offered to employees who don’t receive a permanent new role or don’t want to keep working at the company.

Parent company Walmart notified the state that the store’s permanent closure impacts 133 jobs.

The top half of a tree lands on a pasture 50 yards away from where it was ripped off by the strong winds. A tornado touched down just south of Decatur, Texas, along FM 730 early morning Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, tearing the roof off of a home and ripping trees in half. Debris was strewn across the highway.
The top half of a tree lands on a pasture 50 yards away from where it was ripped off by the strong winds. A tornado touched down just south of Decatur, Texas, along FM 730 early morning Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, tearing the roof off of a home and ripping trees in half. Debris was strewn across the highway.

Sam’s Club has nearby locations in Keller and Irving just over 10 miles away from the former Grapevine store. The retailer also has stores in North Richland Hills, Fort Worth and elsewhere across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Amy Pegues checks on her sister’s ranch across FM 730 from a home that was destroyed by the twister. A tornado touched down just south of Decatur, Texas, along FM 730 early morning Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, tearing the roof off of a home and ripping trees in half. Debris was strewn across the highway.
Amy Pegues checks on her sister’s ranch across FM 730 from a home that was destroyed by the twister. A tornado touched down just south of Decatur, Texas, along FM 730 early morning Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, tearing the roof off of a home and ripping trees in half. Debris was strewn across the highway.

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