Tornadoes Slam North Texas Causing Extensive Damage

A severe line of thunderstorms and isolated super cells moved into the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area in the early afternoon on April 3 producing numerous tornadoes and large hail that was responsible for extensive damage throughout the region.

Preliminary storm reports indicate there were at least 12 tornadoes that hit the area, the intensity of which have yet to be confirmed by the National Weather Service.

No fatalities have been reported, according to the Insurance Council of Texas. The Texas Department of Insurance said an estimated 20 people were injured in the storms.

The cities of Kennedale, Arlington, Lancaster, southeast Dallas, Joshua, Forney, Desoto, Mesquite, Royce City and Greenville were hit by tornadoes, the ICT said. Lancaster, which was struck by a devastating tornado in 1994 that killed three people, had 300 structures damaged in the April 3 tornado outbreak.

Tennis ball size hail and larger struck the cities of Euless, Coppell, Heath and Irving causing extensive damage to vehicles, homes and businesses.

More than 400 flights were cancelled at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport – the eighth busiest airport in the world, according to catastrophe modeler RMS. The airport is the main hub for American Airlines, which cancelled all operations through the evening of the April 3.

DFW airport reported that 110 planes suffered varying degrees of hail damage during the storms, and are currently out of service, to be inspected for hail damage, as required by the Federal Aviation Administration, RMS said. American Airlines pulled 68 planes out of service in order to assess hail damage, with its regional carrier partner American Eagle pulling a further 33 out of service for the same purposes.

Flights were also cancelled at Dallas Love Field airport, a big base for Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines cancelled more than 40 flights in and out of this airport, RMS reported

Destruction from accompanying hailstorms may ultimately have caused more damage as high wind gusts and large hail blanketed the area, according to the ICT.

“While estimates are still being formulated, we know that there was a great deal of property damage,” said Christopher Hackett, director of personal lines policy for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). “Insurance adjusters are in the field now, working to help victims of this storm put their lives back together. There are a number of things that those affected can do to help expedite the recovery process.”

Mark Hanna, a spokesman for the ICT, said insured losses will continue to mount as policyholders are able to determine the extent of the damage to homes, automobiles and businesses.

Until the NWS completes damage surveys of the affected regions of North Texas, the full impact of these tornadoes will not be known, according to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide. However, it is believed that as many as 650 homes and many businesses in suburban communities around Dallas have been damaged. Powerful winds peeled roofs from homes, leveled businesses, and tossed empty big rigs nearly 100 feet into the air. Nearly 14,000 homes and businesses in the region are still without electricity.

Hanna said residents who received damage should seek qualified contractors for repairs and be wary of repairmen who show up at their front door.

“Severe thunderstorm activity developed Tuesday, April 3 as a jet stream disturbance interacted with a cold front moving eastward across the southern Great Plains,” commented Dr. Tim Doggett, principal scientist at AIR Worldwide. “Although the conditions were initially only marginally favorable for severe weather, by mid-Tuesday the warm humid air from the Gulf of Mexico had fueled a line of thunderstorms. These storms quickly intensified as they moved north into the Dallas-Fort Worth area.”

RMS reported that 2012 has so far been a highly active year for tornadoes, with 383 preliminary tornado reports received from January to March, with the month of March contributing 223 of these reports.

This is significantly higher than the three year average (2009 to 2011) of 124 tornadoes, with an average of 74 in the month of March. RMS noted, however, that the 2012 statistics are based on counts of eyewitness tornado reports, and not actual tornado counts, so a direct comparison between these statistics is difficult.

Most tornado, windstorm, hail and similar severe weather-related losses are covered either by homeowners, renters or commercial insurance policies, PCI said.

Tornado losses to a home are covered by the “windstorm” peril under the homeowners insurance policy. Renters insurance also provides coverage to policyholder possessions under this peril. Business owners are covered under their commercial policies. Protection from windstorm or hail damage for cars is covered under the “comprehensive” portion of the automobile insurance policy.