If you weren’t in the path of tornado Sunday night, you’ve probably seen the pictures by now. The storm caused devastating damage across North Dallas, and while no serious injuries have been reported, extreme winds tore apart businesses, schools, and neighborhoods, and left tens of thousands without power. The area is still hazardous, with many street closures due to debris and fallen power lines. Here are some of the local spots that were affected the most.
The offices of KNON 89.3 FM, a community radio station that has served as “The Voice of the People” in Dallas for 35 years, were hit especially hard. The roof and all of the windows on the south side of the building were blown out and the studios sustained critical damage. They’re currently off-air until further notice. According to Dallas Voice, the landlord confirmed that the building will need to be torn down. As a nonprofit that runs on the donations of listeners, it’s going to be a challenge for the station to get back on their feet. They’ve started a fundraiser on Facebook to help get on track. You can donate here.
Independent bookstore Interabang Books was torn apart by the storm, which ripped through the Preston Royal shopping center and also hit neighboring shops including Hollywood Feed, Talbots, Fish City Grill, My Family’s Pizza, Sample House & Candle Shop, Furs by Martin, Central Market, The Gents Place, and Preston Royal Animal Clinic (thankfully, no animals or staff were in the building at the time). The strip mall is essentially a shell of what it was yesterday afternoon.
The shopping center at the southeast corner of Preston and Royal got the worst of the damage, but nearby businesses, including Princi Italia, Gazeebo Burgers, The Toy Maven, Royal China, Eatzi’s, and many others were also harmed by the storm and are closed for repairs or power outages.
Home Depot at Forest Lane and 75 was effectively torn down by the storm–luckily, the manager closed down the store and sent home employees just half an hour before the tornado reached the location. Assessing photos, it doesn’t seem like the building is in a repairable condition.
Universal Rehearsal Studios Walnut Hill, a music recording studio in Northwest Dallas, was damaged by the storm and is currently closed until further notice. The venue’s owner posted on its Facebook page urging customers to avoid the area. It’s blocked off and they haven’t been able to assess the damage yet.
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Of course, this list doesn’t even begin to cover the damage done to houses in the area. Neil Marek and Robbie Richard, the local couple that owns clothing company Marek+Richard, not only lost their design studio and warehouse, but their personal home. An Instagram post on the brand’s page shows the building razed to a pile of debris. They’re currently accepting donations for recovery via PayPal.
We’ll continue updating this story as we hear from businesses in the affected area.
