Downtown Fort Worth sealed off after tornadoes' rampage

Submerged cars hit an urban lake in Fort Worth

March 29, 2000
Web posted at: 9:23 a.m. EST (1423 GMT)

In this story: Deadly wind and flooding Like a bomb going off Arlington, Grand Prairie also hard-hit RELATED STORIES, SITES

FORT WORTH, Texas (CNN) -- Daylight on Wednesday revealed the extent of the devastation to downtown Fort Worth, Texas, which is sealed off while emergency crews clean up after back-to-back tornadoes tore through, killing at least three people.

VIDEO CNN's Catherine Callaway shows the tornado, and the damage. QuickTime Play Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     MESSAGE BOARD Nature's wrath     RESOURCES The Red Cross is taking donations to help tornado victims @ (800) 435-7669 (HELPNOW)

Another person is missing and presumed dead and more than 100 people were injured when the two tornadoes hit Tuesday evening.

Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr said at a news conference Wednesday that the downtown may have to remain off-limits to the public until the end of the weekend.

The twisters ripped into downtown office buildings, shattering windows in skyscrapers. Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr said downtown will remain closed until officials are sure falling glass and other debris is cleaned from the tall buildings.

"Many of the downtown buildings have broken glass windows," Barr said at a news conference late Tuesday. "Some of that glass is hanging and if we get any wind at all, some of it will probably break free. And when it breaks free it will come Frisbee-style down and be very hazardous."

Barr said he didn't know when downtown businesses would be able to reopen.

Arlington, Texas, was also hit hard

"I would urge companies in the downtown area if at all possible to hold off on bringing people in, to fully access what the situation is. We don't want anyone else to get hurt," Barr said.

Deadly wind and flooding

The twisters hit just before dark Tuesday evening, just after 6 p.m. Wailing tornado sirens warned residents minutes before each tornado hit.

One man was killed when he was hit by flying debris and another victim was found dead in a collapsed building, according to Fort Worth Police Lt. David Burgess. A third victim's body was recovered from floodwaters.

Storms dumped heavy rain on the area. Two people are missing and presumed dead after their car was swept into the Trinity River by floodwaters. Two others in the vehicle were rescued.

Burgess said search-and-rescue teams would dig through the ruined buildings after daylight to determine if other victims were buried in the wreckage.

"We still have many unstable buildings with glass falling around," Burgess said. "West of downtown we still have some collapsed buildings that we're still waiting on dogs and search teams to go through."

Members of the Texas Urban Search and Rescue Team based in College Station were expected to help with the search. The team was formed to respond to catastrophes after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

The storm hit west of downtown first, then hopped around, hitting some residential and light industrial areas, Burgess said. "Then the storm hit full force in downtown," he said.

Fort Worth Police Lt. David Burgess describes the path of the tornado as it hit downtown ( 192K/13sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

Like a bomb going off

"It's just been blown apart," said Fort Worth Police Lt. Kent Worley. "You've got buildings with all their windows blown out. You've got curtains blowing in the wind. You've got insulation from ceilings all over the streets."

In addition to smashing the glass in several skyscrapers, the tornadoes flattened stores, overturned vehicles and littered downtown streets with glass and trash.

Just a block away from one of the tornadoes' paths, the 35-story Bank One Tower suffered extensive damage. Windows were blown out on nearly every floor of the eight-story Cash America International Building, which houses offices of the FBI and Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The manager of a popular restaurant on the top floor of the building said his business was destroyed.

"Imagine a large bomb going off," the manager said. "It got pretty hectic in here. We were doing some major yelling to get people out of there."

Patrons and employees had to run down 35 flights of stairs to get to safety, he said.

At the downtown Renaissance Worthington Hotel, windows were broken out in about 12 guest rooms and in the public area, manager Bob Jameson said. The roofs of other buildings were torn off, trees were uprooted, power and telephone lines were downed and traffic signals were rendered useless.

The Cash America International Building in Fort Worth

Arlington, Grand Prairie also hard-hit

Wednesday morning, videotape from television helicopters showed skyscrapers in Fort Worth with their windows blown out, flattened warehouses, and a church with its roof torn off.

After hitting downtown Fort Worth, the storm moved east into neighboring Arlington and Grand Prairie, where police said more than 80 people were left homeless.

The American Red Cross set up shelters in Fort Worth, Grand Prairie and River Oaks. A Red Cross representative said about 250 people have sought shelter.

The Red Cross is sending nurses and mental health counselors to its shelters and a spokesman says providing food and clothing is a priority.

The spokesman said the agency most needs money to help with the emergency and urges potential donors to call (800) 435-7669 (HELPNOW).

More than 50 homes were damaged in Grand Prairie. Several motorists in Arlington had to abandon their cars after their vehicles stalled in rising floodwaters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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