Dallas Residents, Business Owners Still Left Picking Up The Pieces After EF-3 Tornado Damage
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — Ten days ago, April Kao first saw the devastation the north Dallas tornado left after tearing through the back of her Preston Hollow home.
"When I first saw it, I was shocked," Kao said. "My mind kind of went blank. All the devastation is unbelievable."
Several of the decade-old trees she loved dearly were gone in an instant.
"That's the reason we bought this house, but now it's [a] totally different landscape," she said.
And in just a week, a lot of progress was made.
"We can see our garage, they're going to demolish it," Kao said. "We moved a bunch of stuff."
The restaurant she owns with her husband, Royal China — which is one of of Dallas' longest running restaurants — is back in business finally after losing power from the tornado.
Neuhaus, also in the shopping center, was able to reopen as well.
"It was a relief for me and the customers... We're so happy," owner Mervyn Sacker said.
But other businesses on the southeast and southwest corners of the center aren't so lucky.
Tom Ruggeri, owner of Ruggeri's, has been in business in Dallas for 52 years and has never seen a tornado until now.
"You just got to be patient," Sacker said. "They'll build, they'll fix, they'll repair... But it's going to take to time."