What is the weather like in Dallas? Well, on Sunday, June 9, 2019, something hit Dallas like never before and hopefully never again. It’s so shocking and still being described as everything from a “rain bomb” to a “downburst” like a small “tornado” to a taste of “Armageddon.” As for myself, a born-and-raised Dallasite, The Sunday Storm That Left Dallas in the Dark almost took away my very existence as a mother, wife, and daughter.
This picture taken by Toddy Jack shows Dallas when it was hit by a “rain bomb” in 2017.
I’m reposting today, one year exactly since the Sunday Storm that Left Dallas in The Dark. This post was first published in July 2019, one month after this storm. Despite our own home having major destruction: windows were broken, trees destroyed, roof damaged, water flooding our bathroom/bedroom, patio destroyed, screen ripped, furniture and other debris in our pool…
The Sunday Storm That Left Dallas in The Dark
And Darkening My Life?
Sunday afternoon, we thought we would make a quick run to a local garden shop to buy some flowers and herbs to plant outside. I was the gardener, so I stayed home to prepare the pots and garden while my family, my husband, 3 kids, and my mom went in the car to the garden shop. There was a soft cloud coverage which brought a refreshing cool breeze, unusual for Texas summer days, so we thought to take advantage of this “cooler weather” to garden.
Then it happened! Literally within seconds…
I remember the moment that I looked up to see all the trees suddenly blowing in a way that I’ve never seen them blow. The hair on the back of my neck prickled and I ran for the phone to call my family and tell them to turn around and come home. As the phone rang, I heard the house being pelted by large hail and then the crash of glass as the hail broke windows.
My family, my whole family, the definition of everything that makes me who I am presently; a mother, a wife, and a daughter were all in a car on the road being hit by the same hail that was breaking windows in my home and the same sudden shearing wind that was throwing our patio furniture up into the air and down into our pool, the same wind throwing over oak trees and dropping construction cranes around the city….. and at the very moment all I could do was drop to my knees and pray. I didn’t care if my house fell apart and we lost everything, but I couldn’t lose them.
Huge deeply-rooted 100-yr-old-oak trees were uprooted!
Erasing My Very Existence As A Mother, Wife, and Daughter.
My mom finally answered my call but couldn’t hear me even with me yelling. I heard the fear in my children’s voices as they called out “I’m scared” and the sound of the hail and wind hitting the car and windows. The phone died and she didn’t answer any of my other calls.
I’m usually a calm person and handle emergencies well. I’m even known as being an overly adventurous person who craves situations that take me out of my comfort zone. But this….this was something different.
Defenseless Except for Prayer
I couldn’t think calmly and my actions were something of a crazy person who had quickly lost all her senses. I ran around the house, screaming over and over “my family my family”, crying, shaking, and praying.
With shaking hands, I sent several texts to my brother “911 pray pray pray for my family, right now, stop 911 pray please, omg, I’m scared pray.” My brother texted back, “ok, I’m praying right now.”
To The Rescue
I did manage to collect flashlights and then I started to prepare an emergency bag. I was picturing my family on the side of the road in some ditch, hurt and scared and could only think to prepare myself to go out and find them as soon as the storm passed. Water, flashlights, first aid kit…. I didn’t care if water was flooding my bathroom and glass was everywhere in my children’s room. My only focus was for the safety and locating my family.
They are Alive
Through the torn screens and back door off its hinges, I saw him, my husband, not a dream or mirage, but alive, and right in front of me, running through the rain up to the house. I let him in and grasped him in a hug as I inquired about the others. Power was out so he couldn’t get into the garage, but he was there and lifting the garage door manually. He had somehow brought them all home safely and was getting them inside.
German Drivers?
We still don’t know how my husband managed to drive them home safely. They didn’t get very far but the weather, several car crashes, and debris flying through the air had prevented them from coming back quickly. They said it was like a white sheet around the car and they couldn’t see anything. I am so thankful that my husband had been driving. I know he has some exquisite German driving skills, but how he drove through that storm… My mom said that my husband was calm and in control the whole time he was driving. Later, when we were talking, my husband told me that he was truly scared. I’m still in shock that they all made it home safely to me!!
The Sunday Storm that Left Dallas in The Dark
Why Didn’t Outdoor Warning Sirens Go Off in Dallas?
I am upset that officials in Dallas decided to not sound the alarms, despite my dad hearing the ones going off over in Rowlett, even though this storm didn’t directly hit Rowlett. If sirens in Dallas had gone off then my family wouldn’t have left the house or would have come back to the house sooner upon hearing alarms.
Here’s why Dallas’ outdoor warning sirens didn’t go off during the Sunday storm
A City Without Power, Dallas in The Dark
Around 400,000 people lost power, 40% of traffic lights were down, over 500 flights canceled. Even four days later, many were still without power.
This is a picture of our community completely dark.
Grocery stores were only selling nonperishable goods. Huge deeply-rooted trees were uprooted, houses flooded, stores vandalized… Around 400,000 people without power. Dallas in the Dark!
It was painful to throw out all the food from our refrigerator and freezer especially since we had literally just gone to the grocery store 30 minutes before the storm blew through. It’ll take me a long time to have all the damage to our house repaired, and we were without power for several days.
But you know what…..all of that is… well, actually okay, because my family made it home safe and sound to me. I’m feeling very blessed despite The Sunday Storm that Left Dallas in The Dark!!! Just next time, Dallas, can you please sound the alarm?!
Many people keep asking me how I am handling the house repairs so calmly.
Two main reasons:
#1 My family came home safely and that is all that really matters. My house provides a roof over my head but it is also simply a material object…”It is a Home but without my family it would become just a House.” WiseMommies
” A family doesn’t have to perfect; it just needs to be united. “
“Our most basic instinct is not for survival but for family.” Paul Pearsall
#2 Via other community recommendations, I trusted my home with a company called Striker Roofing & Construction. The Striker agent that has been helping us, Carlos Solis, has been an angel to our family. He has been guiding us through repairs, finding all the specialized repairpeople needed, speaking with our insurance, and in constant correspondence giving us support when needed.
Have you experienced something similar to The Sunday Storm that Left Dallas in The Dark? Do you live in Dallas and if so how did That Sunday Storm impact you?
