By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-962768.mp3
Dallas, TX – More than 200 North Texas families are cleaning up and making repairs to their homes after Sunday night's storms - which spawned at least three tornadoes. KERA's BJ Austin has more.
The Red Cross says the storms destroyed 15 homes and damaged a couple-hundred others in North Texas.
At least three moderate F-1 tornadoes touched down: two in Johnson County, one in Kaufman. Ted Ryan is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Ryan: One tornado was 2 miles northwest of Rio Vista. Another one was just west of Alvarado. And another one was just west of Forney.
Ryan says the severe storms packed winds of 60 to 70 miles an hour. Eighty mile an hour winds were reported in Waxahachie.
Anita Foster is with the Red Cross.
Foster: The damage itself is pretty widespread, but when you look at where the destroyed structures are, they're going to be in Kaufman County, Hunt County, Dallas County, and Ellis County. So, for us that's four of the 12 counties that the Dallas area chapter serves that were impacted. So, it was a pretty awful night.
The Chisholm Trail Chapter of the Red Cross reports more than 40 homes damaged in Johnson County, in the Rio Vista - Alvarado area. None destroyed - mainly damage to roofs, windows, and fences.
Anita Foster says this is a wake up call for families to get ready for the spring storm season.
Foster: Make sure that you've got a flashlight. You've got lots of extra batteries. You've got an AM-FM or a weather radio at your house. I tell you this, and we know this from a lot of experience at the Red Cross, being prepared truly can save your life.