Locations hit along tornado paths: PATH OF THE STORMS The trajectory of the Dec. 13 tornadoes impacted businesses and a school. 1 Mustang Elite Car Wash 2 Sam’s Club 3 Discount Tire Tornado 2 Tornado 1 Key: LAKE GRAPEVINE 8 10 9 GRAPEVINE MILLS PKWY.
were also damaged, Beck said. The service center housed public works employees, such as eld sta , the street and tra c signal division, environmental management division and the city’s water utilities division. Beck said the sta members have been moved to di erent locations across the city to continue working. “The sta were just amazing,” he said. “They spent an hour or two talking about the storm, and then they got to work.” Beck said it will take about 12-18 months to rebuild the main facility. School stays open Students at Grapevine Middle School were evacuated after the torna- does came through when a natural gas odor was identi ed near the exterior of the school’s athletic wing, according to an alert from the district. Following the tornado, it was later discovered that several heating, venti- lation and air conditioning units were damaged, along with broken lights and leaks in the roof. Dove and Can- non elementary schools also had early dismissal on Dec. 13 due to power outages. During a Jan. 23 board meeting, Brad Schnautz, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD interim superintendent, thanked sta , central administration, and law enforcement and rst responders for their assistance after the storm. “The response of our district per- sonnel and community to assist wher- ever needed that day was remarkable,” he said. During a Dec. 19 board meeting, the GCISD board of trustees approved $108,000 of undesignated funds from the 2016 bond to cover damage. The emergency expenditures covered removal of storm debris, the installa- tion of two HVAC units, the replace- ment of nine lights on the football eld and repairs to the roof.
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The second tornado hit a peak wind of 100 mph then dissipated at 8:51 a.m. The two tornadoes were part of a larger storm system, with the National Weather Service con rming 16 torna- does across North Texas. “We are incredibly thankful for the fact that we had only ve minor inju- ries, no loss of life and a community that came together swiftly,” Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate said. Assessing the damage In the tornadoes’ wake, over 40 structures were a ected by the storm, including signi cant damage to the city of Grapevine Service Center and Sam’s Club. Other buildings a ected were Grapevine Middle School, Waf- e Way, Family Tire & Auto, and Extra Space Storage, according to the city’s storm update webpage. During the storm, an 18-wheeler turned sideways in the parking area between Walmart and Sam’s Club. Separately, Sam’s Club saw exten- sive roof damage to the building and is temporarily closed. A timeline for reopening is not yet announced. “We are currently working through the availability of needed supplies and should have a better idea of what a timeline looks for any future details in the coming weeks,” said David Schrag with the Sam’s Club Communications department. About 95 city employees were dis- placed after Grapevine’s Service Center was severely damaged. Administrative & Engineering Director Bryan Beck said the center, which is located at 501 Shady Brook Drive, had nearly all of its interior walls damaged or destroyed. Along with the walls, he said there was a large amount of water damage from the rain that came through after the tornado. A majority of the building’s desks, chairs, furniture and computers
4 Wa e Way 5 Grapevine Middle School 6 Grapevine Municipal Service Center 7 Grapevine Cemetery 8 Glass Cactus 9 Grapevine Mills 10 Terrawood Apartments
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1. MUSTANG ELITE CAR WASH
PHOTOS BY CODY THORN COMMUNITY IMPACT
9. GRAPEVINE MILLS
SOURCES: CITY OF GRAPEVINE, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COMMUNITY IMPACT
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