Storm Cells Trigger Damaging Hail In DFW
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A total of four isolated storm cells dumped baseball-sized hail over portions of the Dallas/Fort Worth area on Wednesday, damaging skylights at NorthPark Center and delaying flights at DFW Airport.
Storm warnings cropped up around 6:00 p.m. and continued as one cell moved southeast from The Colony. One began in the northeast corner there while the second rapidly dumped hail over Collin County and northern Dallas County on its way down to Seagoville.
Another sparked up in Irving and crawled south to Midlothian.
It didn't take long for the National Weather Service to report damage: Baseball-sized hail shattered windshields at Junius Street and Munger Boulevard in East Dallas.
Communities Across North Texas Report Heavy Hail Damage:
Damage was confirmed at the Dallas Arboretum. Famed glass sculpter Dale Chihuly has an unprotected outdoor exhibit at the Arboretum, and spokeswoman Wendy Rentz said that six pieces of "Persian Pond" were broken. The black and white glass sculptures will need to be replaced, but no damage estimate was released.
Footage from Chopper 11 captured just before 7:00 p.m. while hovering over NorthPark Center showed skylights with holes shot into them.
The Lakewood Theater's marquee was also smashed during the storm.
Hail Busts Through Roof At NorthPark Center:
In Irving, the National Weather Service reported the Oak Hill Apartments off Pioneer Road suffered broken windows, skylights and vehicle damage from a hailstorm that hit at 7:05 p.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported delays between 15 and 30 minutes at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport due to hail.
Residents in east Dallas, closer to Highway 75, particularly near the M Streets and Lower Greenville, sent photos of hail the size of their palms and of blown-out windshields. At about 8:00 p.m., baseball-sized hail was punishing portions of a swath stretching from Grand Prairie to Cedar Hill.
Hail Storm Attacked Lakewood Area Of Dallas:
The storms were out of the area by 10:00 p.m., making way for a beautiful Thursday.
The most costly hail storm in North Texas history occurred on April 5, 2003. A lone supercell thunderstorm stretched from Stonewall County all the way to Hopkins County in east Texas. According to the NWS, hail as large as 4.5 inches in diameter was dumped along that stretch.
Damage assessments will begin once the sun peaks out Thursday.
Tips For Filing Insurance Claims After Storms:
Have photos of the hail? Send them to pix@ktvt.com and get up-to-date weather radars by clicking here.
Below are videos uploaded to YouTube of hail throughout the area:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqlJ_z34ImA]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rmtt4IfcVM]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwnqNsPTiz8&]
Also Check Out:
