Severe Tornadoes Hit Dallas, Texas on April 3rd

Live-TV Drama Plays Out as Twisters Hit Dallas

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Texas tornadoes: In their own words

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A damaged vehicle is seen as area residents survey the tornado damage to their neighborhood Tuesday, April 3, 2012, in Forney, Texas. Tornadoes tore through the Dallas area Tuesday, peeling roofs off homes, tossing big-rig trucks into the air and leaving flattened tractor trailers strewn along highways and parking lots. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Updated: April 4, 2012 at 11:20 a.m. E/T

More than a dozen tornadoes ripped through north Texas Tuesday afternoon, carving out paths of debris in neighborhoods and throwing semis high into the air on live television.

"I'm estimating 13 tornadoes in Tuesday's storm system," Weather Channel Severe Weather Expert Dr. Greg Forbes said.

Following the storms, the hardest-hit area was the Dallas metroplex, where over 10,000 residents were left without power Wednesday morning. No fatalities or serious injuries have been reported, though several minor injuries occurred.

"It wasn't like a freight train like everybody says it is," physical therapist Patti Gilroy told the Associated Press, who rounded up dozens to safety at Green Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. "It sounded like a bomb hit. And we hit the floor, and everybody was praying. It was shocking."

Gilroy said the blast of wind through Green Oaks lasted about 10 seconds. She described one of her co-workers being nearly "sucked out" while trying to get a patient out of the room at the moment the facility was hit.

More: Interactive map of all damage reports from Tuesday

Surveyors from the National Weather Service will take a look at the damaged areas Wednesday to get an initial estimate on the strength of the tornadoes. According to the Red Cross, at least 650 homes were damaged in Tuesday afternoon's storms.

In the town of Lancaster, a southern suburb of Dallas, 10 people were injured, according to police officer Paul Beck. Two of those injuries were severe, he told the AP, and the town suffered widespread damage.

Photos: Images of the damaged areas

"I guess 'shock' is probably a good word," Lancaster Mayor Marcus Knight said in an AP report.

A vehicle sits toppled over in front of tornado damaged homes Tuesday, April 3, 2012, in Forney, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The drama played out on live tv, as a helicopter followed one of the twisters from the air. Forbes continued to break down the tornado in progress as it tossed debris high into the air.

When the tornado reached a Schneider truck lot, it picked up several of the 18-wheelers, throwing them more than 100 feet into the air and dropping them back on the ground.

Watch: Tornado picks up debris

Schneider confirmed with The Weather Channel that the trucks sent airborne by the twister weighed upwards of 16,000 pounds when empty. Elsewhere, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport canceled hundreds of flights and was forced to divert many others. More than 100 planes at the hub were damaged by hail, DFW Airport spokesman David Magana told the AP.

The tornadoes appeared to bounce around, taking out homes in one area, then leaving another area largely unscathed.

American Airlines spokesperson Andrea Huguely told The Weather Channel that at least 400 flights had already been canceled Wednesday morning, but all but one of the diverted flights from Tuesday were eventually brought in.

"We have 94 American Airlines and American Eagle planes out of service from hail damage," Huguely added.

On Wednesday, The Weather Channel will report live from the damaged areas of Dallas, as Meteorologists Eric Fisher, Mike Seidel and Al Roker are on the scene.

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I don't know how many of you this affects, but I do know that a lot of IF members live in the Texas area. I have family in Dallas myself.

Hoping that everyone who lives in the area stays safe and is unaffected by these ravaging tornadoes. My prayers go out to all in the area.