DFW Cleaning Up After Possible Tornado
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Many people across North Texas are cleaning up after storms that battered the area on Thursday afternoon and evening. Most of DFW took a pounding, from either strong winds, heavy rain or even a possible tornado. Some of the most serious damage was seen in west Dallas.
Trees were toppled. Cars were crushed. Old buildings collapsed. Downed power lines sparked fires. Creeks turned into raging rivers. Wind gusts topped 70 mph.
Jose Cantu and his family heard cracking sounds coming from the ceiling and walls of their home. Everything remained standing, but water kept seeping through even hours after the storm had passed. "We were inside," Cantu recalled. "It felt like it was lifting us. It felt like you were getting lifted, like an elevator kind of feeling. That's when we heard the cracking."
The National Weather Service will spend Friday trying to determine if it was, in fact, a tornado that ripped through Dallas County.
About two dozen students and parents sought shelter in the band room of Lake Highlands Junior High School, where band directors calmly kept everybody in practice areas for about 15 minutes, until the worst of the storm was over.
New Beginnings Covenant Ministries is deeply saddened to see so much damage to their buildings. The congregation has been through all of this before. Just three years ago, the church spent more than $15,000 repairing damage from another tornado. And, just like last time, they expect to rebuild.
"All of our computers and our sound equipment, carpet, from the ceiling that's fallen in," said church member Arlene Gillespie, looking over the Dallas church's damage.
"We rebuilt the building," said Pastor Vincent Young, "and we're going to do it again."
Marcus Blalock is the minister of another small church located two blocks away, and childhood friend of a minister at New Beginnings Covenant Ministries. He spent hours waiting to find out how he could help. "I feel a kinship with this church because it's in my community and, first of all, this is my brother in Christ," Blalock said. "We've known each other since the first grade. We are over 50 years old now."
"That was very nice of him," said New Beginnings Covenant Ministries minister Kenty Caraway. " I expect that out of him. He's a God's man."
"I've got some brothers in faith here with me," added Young. "We are all getting around, going to pray, watch God work a miracle for us."
New Beginnings Covenant Ministries had planned to hold a special Mother's Day event on Sunday. That is still scheduled as planned, but will be moved to the parking lot behind the church.
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