Last updated at 12:20 p.m.
The weather warning sirens were activated, and I was in the hallway bathroom with my wife and cat just before 7 a.m. when we started hearing screams and the wind whistling past our Oak Cliff home. (I initially thought the city was testing the sirens at an odd hour, and was probably very stupid to try and get back to bed.)
By the numbers, as of midday, more than 622,000 people were without power in North Texas. About 356,000 of those were in Dallas County, with the rest roughly evenly distributed between Collin, Tarrant and Denton counties. The storm, with 80 mph winds and golf ball-sized hail, moved east across the metro area. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins issued a disaster declaration after hearing from Oncor that a “significant number of customers” could be without power for several days. The city estimates hundreds of traffic lights are out of action.
“This isn’t a generation issue that happens every once in a while when it’s cold or when it’s hot in the summer,” Jenkins said at a news conference. “This is a line break issue brought on by straight-line winds.”
The storm began just before 5am northwest of Dallas and began to gain strength as it moved south. A flood warning remains in effect, but a severe thunderstorm warning was lifted at 11am. Today is also the day of the primary runoff election, and Dallas County has warned that some polling places will experience delays. You can follow the situation here throughout the day. Judge Jenkins said 103 polling places are without power, with 180 remaining operational across the county (voters can cast their ballots at any polling place in Dallas County). The judge said county officials are investigating whether Carrollton Regional Medical Center lost power, but added that all other hospitals had power.
“This just goes to show how damaged our power grid is, our power lines here in Dallas,” Jenkins said.
Oncor plans to prioritize repairs to critical infrastructure based on population density near affected areas. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority said trains are being delayed because of tree branches and other debris on the tracks. Buses are also being delayed.
The city put outdoor warning systems (those sirens) into operation in the Far North, Northeast and Southeast areas, then expanded them citywide. A tornado watch was issued in Dallas County until 6:30 a.m., and the Garland Independent School District canceled classes. The Dallas Independent School District canceled all school-related activities. Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde said 63 schools lost power and the district headquarters at 9400 N. Central Expressway was “suffering significant damage.” “We have people dealing with broken windows, flooding and downed trees,” she said on Twitter/X. The DeSoto Independent School District delayed start times by two hours because of power issues.
The storm will continue throughout the day, but the National Weather Service is primarily concerned about flash flooding. Winds are expected to increase this afternoon and into the evening. What about the rest of the week? More rain is expected, but it’s not expected to be as heavy as this morning’s.
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Matt Goodman
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Matt Goodman is D MagazineHe writes about a surgeon who killed someone.
