EF1 tornado in Rockwall County, Texas

This entry is a continuation of the Rowlett tornado that began in Dallas County: The onset of damage with this tornado path began along Larkin Lane in Rowlett with a few trees and roofs damaged. The track continued east northeast with the greatest intensity of damage observed in the 4600 block of Hilcox Road just before PGBT where one home lost most of the roof, saw severe windows damaged, and the garage exterior walls collapsed. Several metal outbuildings and barns on this and adjacent properties were also severely damaged or destroyed. Multiple trees were snapped or uprooted along with power poles collapsed. The tornado moved over the east side of the PGBT where several houses and barns sustained significant roof damage or shingles removed. The damage track continued north/northeast near the Pleasant Valley neighborhood. A video shows this tornado as it was over Lake Ray Hubbard where it likely lifted before reaching the far shore. Maximum estimated winds were 100 mph with this tornado.

Thunderstorms erupted across the DFW Metroplex as a strong upper level system and a cold front impacted the region on the evening of October 20 through the early morning hours of October 21st. A few storms developed ahead of the approaching cold front in the late evening hours of the 20th, producing tornadoes in Dallas and surrounding areas. Additional storms formed a squall line along the cold front, producing a large swath of damaging winds across North and Central Texas overnight into the early hours of October 21st. A total of 10 tornadoes were identified by NWS Survey teams, occurring both within the storms ahead of the cold front, and embedded within the squall line. The strongest of these tornadoes was an EF-3 that stretched almost 16 miles across the northern portions of Dallas County. Following on the heels of that tornado, an EF-2 tracked about 2.5 miles through Garland in Dallas County. The remaining count of tornadoes included 4 EF-1s and 4 EF-0s. Miraculously, no one was killed or significantly injured in any of the tornadoes! The total estimated cost of insured damage for all the tornadoes alone is over $2 billion, which the Insurance Council of Texas claims is the most costly tornado event in the state's history. Of the straight line wind damage, the most severe was located in Farmersville in Collin Co where a mobile home was rolled and destroyed. Three people were injured in the home. Over a dozen other manufactured homes in the same area were damaged, too.