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North Texas Tornado Damage: More Than $1 Billion

Stephanie Kuo
/
KERA News
A front yard in Garland, which was hit hard by a tornado Saturday night.

Saturday’s North Texas tornadoes caused at least $1 billion in damages.

That’s according to preliminary figures released by the Insurance Council of Texas.

Nine tornadoes killed 11 people Saturday night. Garland and Rowlett were hardest hit, but tornadoes also ripped through several other parts of North Texas, including rural parts of Collin County and Glenn Heights on the Dallas-Ellis County line.

Eight people, including a 1-year-old, died in Garland. Three people died in Collin County – two in Copeville and one, an infant, in Blue Ridge. 

Other developments:

  • The American Red Cross is launching a new multi-agency resource center in Midlothian. It’s at Longbranch Elementary School, 6631 FM 1387. Tornado victims can meet with Red Cross workers and representatives from other agencies. It will be open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. through Friday. The Red Cross says a resource center will open later this week in other locations, such as Rowlett and Garland. In Collin County, the Red Cross says it plans to meet with families individually to develop recovery plans. 


  • In Garland, 783 homes have been damaged. Of those, 547 have been classified as safe and 236 are considered uninhabitable. The Landmark Village West Apartments at 1044 E. Interstate 30 are unsafe and off-limits, police say. In Garland, 1,000 homes were without power earlier Tuesday. Crews continue to work to restore power. Police say there have been no reports of looting or vandalism in neighborhoods affected by the tornado. 


  • In Rowlett, a 24-hour curfew has been lifted in affected neighborhoods. “There will still be restricted access where public works crews are actively clearing streets but we will no longer restrict access to other areas,” the city says. “Public safety staff will actively patrol and monitor.”


  • In Ellis County, officials say 171 structures were damaged or destroyed -- the buildings are valued at $20.4 million.

Eric Aasen is KERA’s managing editor. He helps lead the station's news department, including radio and digital reporters, producers and newscasters. He also oversees keranews.org, the station’s news website, and manages the station's digital news projects. He reports and writes stories for the website and contributes pieces to KERA radio. He's discussed breaking news live on various public radio programs, including The Takeaway, Here & Now and Texas Standard, as well as radio and TV programs in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.