Update:
This is a developing story that will be updated throughout the day.
Powerful storms tore through North Texas early Tuesday, knocking out power to thousands and ripping roofs off buildings.
Many in the Dallas area woke to the wail of severe weather alarms sounding around 5:30 a.m. The storm packed 60 to 75-mph wind gusts and dropped a half-inch to 1 inch of rain, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a thunderstorm warning and tornado watch.
By 6 a.m., more than 300,000 customers were without power, including 105,000 in Dallas County, according to Oncor’s outage map. Two hours later, more than 200,000 were still without power. Oncor warned that some repairs could be slow, as strong winds are expected throughout the day that could hamper utility crews.
“There’s damage pretty much across the entire Metroplex,” said Sarah Barnes, a meteorologist with the weather service.
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In Irving, which saw some of the worst damage, snapped utility poles littered North O’Connor Road across from a Savers Cost Plus grocery store. At the nearby La Hacienda apartments, a pile of bricks lay in front of a stripped wall and broken windows.
At Zavala Middle School in Irving, downed power lines and a nearby gas leak forced the school to close. Across the street, residents in the Tree Country apartments were forced to evacuate due to storm damage, an Irving police spokesperson said.
Nearby, Eugenio Ruiz, 50, said multiple trees fell in his yard, damaging his garage and cars parked in his driveway and on the street. His son Santiago, 15, said the whole family woke when a tree split in two and landed on their home’s garage.
“You just heard a loud thump,” Santiago Ruiz said, adding that it shook the house.
About 350 residents were displaced from the La Hacienda and Tree Country apartments, Irving police spokesperson Anthony Alexander said. No injuries have been reported. A temporary shelter was set up at the Georgia Farrow Recreation Center.
“Right now, we have emergency crews out here on the scene, trying to assess the damage just the overall magnitude of this situation,” Alexander said.
In Plano, ferocious winds tore part of the roof from Plano West Senior High School. Debris scattered the school’s parking lot Tuesday morning, and caution tape roped off part of the building. The school day continued as normal, school officials said, but some bus routes were delayed.
Plano police recommended avoiding the area due to downed power lines. Janet Ostrovitz, 66, lives near Plano West Senior High and said traffic was stalled and trees and fences knocked down around the neighborhood.
Several schools closed due to power outages, and districts warned buses were delayed. DeSoto ISD announced it would cancel classes because more than half of students would arrive at campuses without power.
A trampoline became lodged in a tree due to an early morning storm on March 4, 2025, in Carrollton. (Jason Janik / Special Contributor)
Several small aircraft sustained damage at the Air Park-Dallas public airport due to an early morning storm on March 4, 2025, in Carrollton. (Jason Janik / Special Contributor)
The storm disrupted hundreds of flights. About 300 flights were delayed in and out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, with nearly 250 canceled by 9 a.m., according to flight tracker FlightAware. At Dallas Love Field, 68 flights were delayed and 63 canceled.
Storms snarled traffic in some areas. An 18-wheeler was also overturned in the northbound lanes of Interstate 35E, according to Texas Department of Transportation traffic cameras. The overturned vehicle was blocking all lanes of traffic, causing delays.
Related:Threat of tornadoes, severe thunderstorms pass for North Texas; wind advisory remains
In far North Dallas, multiple buildings in an apartment complex in the 18700 block of Marsh Lane sustained damage, including collapsed chimneys and blown-off roofs. Tuesday morning, small tree branches and leaves littered the complex’s parking lot, and the swimming pool was full of furniture.
Gilberto Navas, 35, said the storm tore part of the roof off his apartment, knocked over the chimney and damaged drywall inside the building, leaving crumbs of drywall scattered all over the floor just inside the front door. Navas said he is planning to look for temporary housing until the drywall is cleaned.
Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said no injuries were reported and evacuation was not necessary at the apartments.
