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Strong winds of up to 90 mph (145 kph) ripped the roof off a
Days Inn along Interstate 45, damaged homes throughout Ellis
County and toppled at least seven semitractor-trailer trucks on
Interstate 35. The strong storms also knocked out power to
nearly 20,000 people, but didn't generate any tornadoes. Fewer
than 300 customers remained without power Sunday evening, but
service was expected to be restored by the end of the day. Some
quarter-sized hail also fell in the area.
Becky Hogle, who works the front desk at the damaged hotel, told
the Dallas Morning News that she and the owner moved quickly to
evacuate everyone after the storm hit and opened up many of the
second-floor rooms to the sky.
“So I pulled my hair up in a scrunchie, ran over and we started
knocking on doors telling people they had to vacate,” she said
Sunday.
The 42-year-old man who died was T.J. Bailey from Midlothian,
Texas. His wife and two sons were inside an RV that rolled over
at the racetrack, Ellis County Justice of the Peace Chris Macon
told The Dallas Morning News. Bailey's family members were
treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The
boys were released, but their mother remained under observation
at the hospital Sunday.
Macon said he'd never seen such strong and sustained winds in
his lifetime of living in Ellis County.
“I can honestly say, I’ve known the wind to blow, but never like
that for that long of a period of time,” he said.
Ennis Mayor Kameron Raburn said in a statement Saturday that the
city is beginning to pick up debris and work on recovering from
the storm.
“The safety of our residents is our top priority,” Roburn said.
Oncor, the power company, said some of the power restoration
work was slowed by fallen trees and other debris that had to be
cleared by bulldozers before the utility's workers could get
into the area.
The nearby city of Waxahachie had to cancel the weekend events
for its Tulipalooza festival because of the storm damage.
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