The pictures flooded social media as picture whipped out their phones and documented the unprecedented tennis ball size hail that pounded Dallas, Arlington, and most of North Texas. Car winded were smashed, roofs were damaged, and what looked like snow covered the street.
The hail was so large and so intense that it even clogged a storm drain causing it to back up across the street and stranding one woman in her car. In one collision center, rows of cars lined the lot, ready to be repaired. However, after several recent hailstorms, many of them will simply have to be totaled.
The morning commute was paralyzed, as many Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Arlington residents had no choice but to pull over and wait ? and hope their windshield holds up. As many as two dozen Medstar ambulances were put out of service, and several Arlington Police cars had their windshields smashed in. Even the Ft. Worth zoo was damaged by the hail, and lost five of its beautiful flamingos to the storm.
According to CBSDFW News, dozens of arriving planes at both Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Airport were prevented from landing after a ground stop, due to thunderstorms, was ordered. While the stoppage was brief delays continued for hours.
Highway officials say flooded Interstate 10 in southeast Texas will stay closed through the weekend. The Texas Department of Transportation on Thursday said I-10 near Beaumont remains closed in both directions, and is not expected to reopen until Monday afternoon.
NBC Dallas Ft. Worth posted a link with several shots of damage, as many residents scrambled to get their lives back in order.
And the storm didn?t just bring hail. High wind, rain, and thunderstorms accompanied the pelting of hail. Many counties, such as Dallas and Tarrant, were under severe thunderstorm warnings. While more rain and wind are still expected over the next few days, for North Texans, they are hoping the worst is over.