Severe storms brought hail the size of golf balls, strong winds, heavy rain and reports of tornadoes in North Texas Thursday afternoon.
The National Weather Service says that EF-1 tornadoes hit the cities of Corsicana and Irving as severe storms pushed through.
NWS damage teams confirmed the twisters Friday, first confirming an EF-1 tornado with winds up to 105-110 mph in Irving.
A second tornado was confirmed in Navarro County near the north side of Corsicana, where winds were estimated to have reached 95 mph.
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Friday evening the NWS confirmed a third tornado, also an EF-1, struck the north side of Irving, just north of Texas 183. Peak winds are estimated to have reached 105 mph. An automotive dealership that was in the path of the storm sustained damage when parts of its façade came crashing down.
Families displaced in Irving
The storm ripped the roof off two buildings in the Garden Grove apartment townhomes on Shady Grove Road near Belt Line Road in Irving.
The missing roof caused rainwater to pour through and the ceilings to cave in on bedrooms. Water-soaked clothes, furniture and carpet.
At least six units were affected and several families were displaced. NBC 5 learned that the landlord has put some of the residents up in a hotel for a few days but families are trying to find long-term accommodations for the next few months while repairs are made to the units.
The Red Cross has also stepped in to offer financial assistance and other forms of aid.
Families spent much of the day cleaning up and salvaging what they could from the mess.
"It's bad and unfortunate, with things that happen that's out of our control but i'm glad that everybody in my family is safe," said Beuy Sribounheuang, whose family is displaced due to the storm. "I know material things and things in life -- it can come and go. But family is important to me. Thank God my family is safe."
He and his wife, Tik, are part of a tight-knit group of families from Laos and Thailand that were affected by the tornado. She said they are leaning on each other through this difficult time.
"Things might happen but we thank God we safe. And hope everybody survives like us. Everything outside -- that's OK. But if your soul and your people are safe, thank God," she said.
Charity warehouse damaged in Grand Prairie
In Grand Prairie, the humanitarian nonprofit group World Vision had significant damage to its warehouse. The organization helps respond to disasters around the world.
It's unclear right now if it was hit by the tornado confirmed by the NWS but the people there say when the lights began to flicker, an employee immediately gathered the 13 people inside and headed toward the prayer room for cover.
"As they were just walking into the prayer room, we heard the roof and everything start falling apart," said Quincy Walker, site manager.
The group is still assessing the damage.
They believe hundreds of pallets of goods like food, water and personal hygiene products may be lost.
Block of fences down in Garland
In Garland, straight-line winds wiped out wooden fences along a block of homes near Duck Creek Park.
The NWS estimates the winds reached 75 mph in that area.
It caused damage to fences, knocked trees down and significant damaged the roofs of some homes.
Fatima Zaheer saw a wall of wind and rain outside of her windows before she took cover with her family.
"It sounded like a train, a train coming in from one side of the house," she said. "At that point, the whole house began to shake. The tree was bending from the wind so hard that it touched the ground."
Zaheer's father had multiple sets of patio furniture in their backyard for family gatherings -- he said the storm knocked down their fence and sucked out the furniture, scattering it elsewhere in the neighborhood.
"It's a mess. First, gratitude comes to mind. Nobody got hurt. It's all just physical things but it still sets in," Zaheer said while walking with her baby on Friday morning.
Her neighbor Greg Lomax sustained heavy damage to his roof and fence. He's lived on the block for 23 years and has been able to dodge most of storms until now.
"After two loud booms that scared everybody in the house, we went to the closet to take cover," he said.
As a realtor who has seen it all, he's warning new residents and homeowners to keep storms in mind while living in Texas.
"For it to happen to me, is a different situation," he said. "Make sure you have good insurance. It's not all about cheap insurance, it's about the best insurance because that's what you're going to need these days."
