RICHARDSON – Many families in Richardson are working to get back on their feet and into their homes after a tornado damaged or destroyed structures in its path one year ago this month.
It was a weekend resident David Auren and his family will never forget. In a matter of 30 seconds strong winds from the tornado blew the roof off his home and debris came crashing down.
“Our lives have completely changed. The tornado destroyed our home and our family is still shaken up about it. It was a very rough night for everybody,” said Auren, who was displaced and is currently renovating his home.
A total of 12 structures were destroyed and more than 200 others severely damaged, including 54 single-family homes that were deemed uninhabitable. The City of Richardson contracted big hauling trucks that removed more than 43,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris and 16,000 yards of construction debris.
“We were able to respond very quickly, much quicker than the national average as far as getting people out into the field, providing information to the public and making sure they were safe,” said Scott Greeson, Response and Recovery Coordinator for Richardson’s Office of Emergency Management.
As of today, the City has issued close to 600 building permits related to the tornado from residential home to roof and fence repair, and more permits are expected in the coming months as more properties are renovated.
Read more on the recovery efforts in this month’s “Richardson Today.”
