Thousands Lose Power In North Texas Storms
DALLAS (AP) - Severe thunderstorms, funnel clouds and hail the size of tennis balls bombarded Dallas and Fort Worth overnight, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without electricity Wednesday.
Operations were starting to return to normal at the city's two major airports Wednesday morning after dozens of flights were stalled due to the inclement weather and possible storm damage. The forecast for the area was mostly sunny with high temperatures in the lower 90s.
About 10,000 passengers were stranded Tuesday night at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, but flight operations were returning to normal Wednesday, said airport spokesman David Magana.
Some 90 departures were canceled Wednesday to allow airlines to check planes for damage, Magana said. Carriers had canceled hundreds of departures Tuesday night.
"A good chunk of the schedule from last night was canceled because of the storms and the subsequent aircraft inspections that needed to happen," he told The Associated Press.
American Airlines did not immediately return a call seeking information about damage to aircraft.
Jose Torres, a spokesman for Dallas Love Field, said terminals and runways there remained open overnight, but that flight operations had been suspended for about two hours on Tuesday evening.
Southwest Airlines spokesman Brad Hawkins said eight of the carrier's planes were damaged by the hail.
"The repairs are going to prompt flight delays and cancellations later today," Hawkins said.
The only reported injury from the severe weather was an Irving police officer who was in good condition after being struck by lightning while placing flares along a road, according to a police statement early Wednesday. The name of the officer, who was hospitalized, was not immediately released.
Utility Oncor said more than 39,000 of its customers were without power in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Nearly 70,000 homes and businesses lost electricity during the storm.
"Our crews made significant progress throughout the night," said Oncor spokeswoman Ashley Burton.
The storm smashed car windows and stripped roof tiles from homes in Watauga, Argyle, Azle and Denton.
"The hail was probably more destructive," said Steve Fano, National Weather Service meteorologist in Fort Worth.
The main concourse at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington was evacuated as a precaution against hail during a rain delay in Tuesday night's game between the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers. Play resumed about three hours later, with Chicago beating Texas 8-6.
The storms in Texas were among a series that threatened a swath of the central U.S. on Tuesday night and early Wednesday, killing more than a dozen people.
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