U.S.

In Fort Worth, Caution's The Watchword

April 6, 2000 / 7:05 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Office towers with busted windows, many now covered by plywood or patched with tape, dominate the downtown Fort Worth skyline.

The damage from a tornado that pummeled the area late last month likely will remain for at least several more months, city officials said Thursday.

Workers may be able to begin returning to the 35-story Bank One building and UPR Plaza next week, but replacing and repairing broken window panes on two of the most heavily damaged towers will take months.

On the streets below, access to several city blocks remains restricted because of falling glass.

"One of our fire chiefs was standing under a covered walkway doing a visual survey the other day when glass crashed above him. He's not sure where it came from," city spokesman Pat Svacina said. "We haven't had anybody hurt by glass, and we don't want any now."

The tornado that went through Fort Worth was one of at least two that touched down March 28 in Tarrant County. Four people were killed; another person was swept away by rising waters in the Trinity River and is presumed dead.

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Twin tornadoes hit the Fort Worth area on March 28. Click here for our coverage of the twisters' aftermath. Click here to learn about other tornadoes that have struck urban areas.

Officials of the Bank One building say 3,200 of its 3,540 panes of glass were either broken or damaged. All will have to be replaced.

Crews have been clearing glass shards from window frames and installing internally braced plywood that can withstand 90 mph winds.

Jim Wells of the Trammell Crow Co., which manages the office tower, told The Star-Telegram that the weatherproof plyboard will allow the building to be occupied while windows are replaced, a task that will take several months.

Glass removal at the 40-story UPR Plaza could take another week or more, Svacina said.

Aside from the broken and boarded-up windows, remnants of the storm are visible at just about every turn.

Vehicles with broken windows remain in some parking lots, and shattered glass and debris still litter closed streets. Workers who have returned to their jobs navigate through traffic detours and around restricted areas. But the size of those restricted areas has been reduced to around Bank One and UPR Plaza.

"The steets were closed down where I park and I was having to go three blocks out of the way," said Roy Child, a computer programmer "Now it has gotten easier."