A tornado watch was in effect for much of North Texas until 5 a.m. Sunday as severe storms raked the region overnight, with the biggest threat coming from very large hail. Severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings were also posted in parts of the area as the storm line kept moving east in the early morning hours.
The watch covered Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Fannin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar and Rockwall counties. A severe thunderstorm warning for Dallas, Ellis and Kaufman counties was set to expire at 2:45 a.m., with two-inch hail and wind gusts of 60 mph possible. Flash flood warnings were also in effect for Tarrant County until 4:30 a.m. and southern Dallas County until 4:45 a.m.
The overnight outbreak already left a deadly mark. Parker County said one person died Saturday night south of Springtown as storms moved through North Texas. Wise County officials said one person died there as well, and several structures were destroyed. Sirens were activated in Haslet, Weatherford, Burleson, Arlington and Fort Worth, and attendees at Dickies Arena were told to shelter in place in the tunnels.
Damage reports showed how hard parts of the region were hit. There was significant debris from wind over the State Highway 199 stretch from around Ross Road SE, and some roads were impassable because of it. Runaway Bay also took heavy damage, with winds of EF-2 strength or greater suspected there. At least 20 families were displaced.
Sunday was expected to turn calmer, warm and muggy, with only an isolated shower threat, but the reprieve was likely to be short. Monday was forecast to bring another hot and humid day with highs in the middle 90s under mainly sunny skies, and storm threats were expected to return on and off from Tuesday through Friday.
For North Texas, the immediate danger was not over at dawn, but the overnight storm system had already turned warnings into fatalities, destruction and displacement before the region got to daylight.