Approximately 80 Families See Homes Destroyed Or Severely Damaged In Arlington Tornado
ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Well past dark Wednesday, Nov. 25, workers hustled to replace the roof torn from a building at the Waterdance Apartments in Arlington.
It was there the National Weather Service says an EF-2 tornado reached its peak strength Tuesday night.
"I rushed to grab him," said Teresa Luna, holding her son, Leonardo.
The two had been home when the storm came through.
The 4-year-old described the strong winds, filling his cheeks with air and blowing out a burst of air.
"Strong, strong, strong, like this," he exclaimed. "Like if it was a ferocious wolf!"
Debris struck the family's door and window. An air conditioning unit was thrown onto the pavement next to Luna's car.
Somehow, they say they were spared. The building they face, no more than 20 feet away was destroyed.
"It looked like someone had just peeled back a sardine can," said Lisa Morgan, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross, North Texas Region.
The nonprofit estimates 80 families in Arlington had their homes destroyed or severely damaged.
It's providing shelter to about 25 of those families at a local hotel.
In the midst of a pandemic, though, the organization is stretching its resources to meet the needs of disaster victims.
"There's extra costs when you look at emergency lodging; there's extra costs for personal protective equipment for staff; and just the way we have to flex differently to make sure we service the community."
The Red Cross is providing families with meals as well, and says it was able to place a last minute order at a local restaurant to make sure they get a Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, too.
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