Without a doubt, this Spring storm season has been one for the books. 

   Unfortunately, Farmers Branch made its entry into the 2015 weather history of the local area with a confirmed EF-1 tornado skipping across our City a little after 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

 On the other hand, we are very fortunate that Sunday morning's damage was limited to property only. There were no injuries reported in association with this storm. By the way, the Enhanced Fujita scale (EF) ranks the severity of tornadoes based on the wind speed and the damage they cause. An EF-0 may break some limbs but no other damage. An EF-5 is the largest, and most destructive on the scale.

   In the aftermath of our EF-1 tornado, I have asked our Emergency Management Director, Fire Chief Steve Parker, along with Emergency Management Specialist Ashleigh Feryan, to coordinate with the National Weather Service to better understand the sequence of events and see if they can determine why a tornado warning was not issued for Farmers Branch.

This screen capture was taken less than an hour after this intense storm spawned a tornado in Farmers Branch.

   What you should know is that our Public Safety and Emergency Management personnel were monitoring the situation Sunday morning, as they have been for every severe storm system that moves through. 

   In order to activate outdoor warning sirens, there would need to have been a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service or visual confirmation. We had neither which is why our outdoor warning sirens were not sounded. This thing had literally come and gone before we knew it.

   As many of you know, I spent a good bit of my career so far in Kansas and Nebraska. During this time, I've dealt with more than 10 tornadoes, along with a 100 mph straight line wind event. As such, I can tell you with a degree of experience that sometimes, these things spin up without warning and are gone again before anyone realizes they were there.

   Such appears to have been the case with our EF-1, Sunday night.

   Chief Parker reminds everyone that even when the sirens are activated, they are "outdoor" warning sirens, designed to alert you if you are outside. Especially in the midst of severe storm, they may or may not be heard indoors which is why close attention to local media, or even better, a weather alert radio, is so very important. Personally, I think the best way to stay up on emerging weather is any number of smart phone apps that give you a very audible alert when the National Weather Service issues a warning for your geographic area.

   For now, we assess the damage and reflect on what happened so we can learn what we can.

FARMERS BRANCH ~ After an on-site damage assessment, officials from the National Weather Service have confirmed the storm that hit Farmers Branch at about 2:35 a.m. Sunday included an EF-1 tornado.

   The large storm cell swept across the Metroplex from south to north between about 2:30 and 3 a.m. Sunday. 

   Farmers Branch Police reported damage across the City, from the area of Josey Lane and LBJ, across Valley View to Pepper Park where several trees were downed, to Distribution Way and Denton where railroad arms were snapped, across I-35E where several commercial businesses had blown out windows, trees uprooted and roofs either ripped off or collapsed. Officials estimate from the time the tornado entered the City to the time it skipped across Valwood Parkway into Carrollton was about three minutes.

   No injuries were reported and no residents were known to have been displaced by the storm.

Tom Bryson

Frog Pond: Day One

After years of planning and construction, the new Farmers Branch Aquatics Center was completely opened to the public on Saturday with a ribbon cutting on the Frog Pond outdoor water recreation area. After being the first guest down the water slide, this young swimmer braved the cool water of the bucket dump at the kids activity pool. The Frog Pond is open this weekend 12 to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, then begins daily operation on Friday, June 5.

 

FARMERS BRANCH ~ Food trucks have been so popular at other events, they're getting one of their own.

   Actually, three.

   The Farmers Branch Parks and Recreation Department has announced that "Tastes & Tunes" will be featured one night per month in June, July and August at The Grove @ Mustang Crossing, adjacent to the Farmers Branch DART Station at the corner of Bill Moses Parkway and Denton Drive.

   Admission will be free to the food truck area where live music will be played each evening. Dates and bands are: Thursday, June 18 with "Hard Day's Night"; Thursday, July 16 with "The Bad Monkeys"; and Friday, August 14 with "Live 80."

   Each event will be scheduled from 5 until 8 p.m. each evening. For more information, visit www.fbspecialevents.com or call 972.919.2620.

Tom Bryson

As winners of a charity auction, Gibson Goodno, 6, Rory Goodno, 6, and Griffin Goodno received a first class ride to school at Janie Stark Elementary this morning, courtesy of Farmers Branch Police Corporal Dale Sikorsky (left). Several classes from Janie Stark lined the sidewalk and cheered as the Goodno kids arrived in their very unique ride.

Fire Dept Photo

Kindergarten student Marleigh Haaksman and her mother Misty enjoyed a ride to school recently on Engine 131. Marleigh was the winner of the "ride to school on a Fire Truck" auction item. Driver/Paramedic Chad Brown and Firefighter/Paramedics Johnnie Harris and Mike Smith treated Marleigh of a tour of Fire Station #1, and then dropped her off in style at Janie Stark Elementary.