We’re now getting a better sense of how much damage last month’s tornadoes wrecked upon the city. About 800 residential structures suffered some degree of damage. About half of those were either destroyed or seriously damaged. Residences bore the brunt of the EF-3 tornado that stormed from the area north of Love Field on its way to Richardson and Garland, wrecking Preston Hollow in the process. Another 87 commercial structures were damaged as well. The Insurance Council of Texas estimates that the tornadoes caused about $2 billion in damages.
Those numbers were provided by Phil Crone of the Dallas Builders Association, who got them from the city. I’m awaiting further details from City Hall and will update accordingly. Those numbers are just for the city of Dallas; when you factor in the other cities that were hit by tornadoes—10 of them tore through Dallas, Garland, Rockwall, and Richardson, among others—the property damage easily sails above 1,000 structures. Here’s how this all breaks down:
Affected: 156 – Very minimal damage
Minor: 356 – Damage to the exterior only. No structural members involved
Major: 287 – Damage to structural members
Destroyed: 106 – Loss of structural integrity
