Texas battered! Hurricane Force Winds and Hail Slam Dallas

Severe weather swept across North Texas late Friday, leaving behind widespread damage, power outages, and major disruptions across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and surrounding communities. The hardest hit area was Gunter, where local officials described the scene as widespread damage, with trees toppled, power lines brought down, and debris scattered throughout neighborhoods. Emergency crews worked late into the night to clear blocked roads and restore electricity as residents assessed the damage. The storms arrived as a strong cold front moved into the region, triggering showers and thunderstorms that quickly intensified into severe storms by Friday evening. Many residents were caught outdoors as the storm struck during high school football games and community events. As crowds exited stadiums, strong, damaging winds surged through the metroplex, creating dangerous conditions on the roads. There's our lights. There's our hill. By 11-12 p.m., severe thunderstorms were lined up from Richardson to Hutchins, tracking east at roughly 25 miles per hour. In Dallas County, winds peaked near 60 miles per hour, prompting a severe thunderstorm warning that covered much of the area, including Dallas, Garland, Irving, Grand Prairie, Mesquite, Carrollton, and several other nearby cities. These winds were strong enough to knock down trees, damage vehicles, and cut power to thousands of homes and businesses. Dallas Love Field recorded wind gusts of 55 miles per hour, which, combined with heavy rain and lightning, caused major delays. By late evening, more than 500 flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport had been delayed, and at least 70 more were impacted at Dallas Love Field. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary ground stop at DFW Airport earlier in the evening, halting departures as the strongest storms moved across the region. In Collin, Denton, and Grayson counties, warnings remained in effect throughout the evening as storms with wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour and hail up to the size of half dollars moved through. Near Prosper, storm cells produced hail ranging from quarters to larger stones, nearly one and a half inches in diameter, pelting neighborhoods and damaging vehicles. In Louisville, gusts around 60 miles per hour were reported, forcing residents to take cover as trees bent under the pressure of the winds. By 7.30 p.m., thousands of customers across Collin and Denton counties were already without electricity. Utility trackers confirmed that more than 7,000 homes and businesses in Denton County had lost power, while more than 5,000 customers in Collin County were also left in the dark. Crews were dispatched throughout the night, though additional outages continued to be reported as the storms advanced. The National Weather Service issued multiple warnings throughout the evening, including for Paris, Reno, Honeygrove, and other northeastern Texas communities. These warnings highlighted the risk of damaging winds, large hail, and frequent lightning. Forecasters noted that while the most intense storms were tied directly to the advancing cold front, lingering showers and thunderstorms were expected well into the overnight hours and could continue into Saturday morning as the system moved southeast. Despite the dangerous conditions, officials confirmed that the majority of the damage so far has been related to wind and hail rather than confirmed tornado activity. Still, the sheer force of the straight-line winds created scenes often associated with tornadoes, trees uprooted, roofs damaged, and widespread debris. Looking ahead, forecasters say the cold front responsible for these storms will continue moving south into Saturday, bringing cooler air behind it. High temperatures in the Dallas-Fort Worth region are expected to dip slightly below seasonal averages, while the risk for additional scattered thunderstorms lingers into the weekend. Although widespread severe weather is not expected in the coming days, forecasters warn that isolated strong storms remain possible, particularly in areas south of the metroplex. Residents across north Texas now face a day of recovery. Crews are focusing on restoring power, clearing roads, and assessing structural damage to homes, schools, and businesses. Meanwhile, at Dallas-Fort Worth International and Dallas Love Field, officials are working to manage the backlog of delayed flights as airlines attempt to resume normal operations. Thank you for watching. See you in the next video.