2000 Fort Worth tornado
The Great 2000 Fort Worth Tornado occurred on March 28, 2000, moving eastward through the downtown area of Fort Worth, Texas (USA).
The tornado passed through the west side of Fort Worth at about 6:18 p.m. It tore a 4-mile (5-km) path through the city, blowing out windows and causing significant damage to many of the downtown high rise buildings (including the Bank One building and the headquarters of Cash America International). The tornado dissipated around 6:28 p.m., and at its worst, was approximately one-quarter mile wide (0.4 km). The tornado was classified as a low end F3 on the Fujita scale. Two people were killed by the tornado and 80 were injured, with six seriously injured. The heavy rain and hail that followed damaged many interior areas of buildings which were exposed by the tornado's winds.
The storm system spawned a second tornado which moved through Arlington and Grand Prairie. The second tornado caused a mile long track of damage mainly through residential areas, leaving 80 people homeless. The storm system caused approximately $500 million in damage to Tarrant County in year 2000 values.
A KXAS outdoor camera in downtown Fort Worth broadcast parts of the tornado coverage on live TV during the 6 p.m. weather segment.
This is not the first time the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex was hit by a significant tornado. Another notable tornado hit Dallas on April 2, 1957. That tornado, which killed 10 people, was among the most photographed tornadoes of the 20th century.
Tornado table
| F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Confirmed tornadoes
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | ||||||
| F0 | St. Jo area | Montague | 2324 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
A mobile home was damaged. | |
| F3 | Fort Worth area | Tarrant | 0018 | 4 miles (6.4 km) |
2 deaths – West of downtown Fort Worth, seven buildings collapsed. In the downtown area, eight buildings were destroyed, 27 sustained major damage, and 15 sustained minor damage. This included 17 skyscrapers that were heavily damaged. In total, 15 buildings were destroyed and 62 damaged. 93 homes were destroyed, 203 sustained major damage, and 810 sustained minor damage. Damages were at $450 million damage, inflated to $560.1 million. It is the tenth costliest U.S. tornado. Two people died and 80 were injured, 6 seriously. | |
| F0 | NW of Gainesville | Cooke | 0020 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
Brief touchdown with no damage. | |
| F0 | N of Itasca | Hill | 0020 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
Brief touchdown with no damage. | |
| F3 | Arlington/Grand Prairie area | Tarrant, Dallas | 0105 | 8 miles (12.8 km) |
In Arlington, $27 million in damage occurred. The worst damage was at the municipal airport. The Bell Helicopter Textron was damaged as were many helicopters and hangars. A security guard was injured. Northeast of the airport, two subdivisions sustained up to F2 damage. The Health and Human Services Center suffered extensive damage and the Texas Department of Health was destroyed. The Lear Co. and a post office were also damaged. In the city, 6 homes were destroyed, 183 sustained major damage, 185 sustained minor damage, and 704 were affected. 33 businesses and buildings were damaged or destroyed. Over 200 trees were lost. In Grand Prairie: $4,180,000 damage occurred. 296 homes, 256 apartments, and 2 commercial complexes were damaged. This included 61 homes in the Mirabella Neighborhood. Inflations put damage at 38,808,000 (2008 dollars). | |
| F0 | Leon Valley/NW San Antonio area | Bexar | 0111 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
Brief touchdown with no damage. | |
| F0 | S of Lancaster | Dallas | 0155 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
Brief touchdown with no damage. | |
| F0 | N of Roane | Navarro | 0155 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
Brief touchdown with no damage. | |
| F1 | S of Bazette | Navarro | 0215 | 3 miles (4.8 km) |
Three mobile homes and five barns were destroyed while two homes sustained roof damage. | |
| F0 | Trinidad | Henderson | 0230 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
Minor damage to a few homes. | |
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