Resources Growing, Volunteers Needed as Tornado Recovery Ramps up in DFW

DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – Businesses and residents across the Dallas area are tallying up losses in the wake of Sunday’s string of tornadoes that ripped through the heart of Dallas and Richardson.

The City of Richardson opened a Volunteer Coordination Center Thursday to connect volunteers with victims in need.

“We have had a tremendous outpouring of people wanting to help the people impacted by this tragedy,” said Richardson Mayor Paul Voelker. “We do have a lot of needs for the victims of this disaster, so we are mobilizing a Volunteer Reception Center to make those connections and leverage all of the resources available to help get our community back to normal as quickly as possible.”

According to the City of Richardson, people wishing to volunteer can expect to offer the following services:

– Vegetation clearing,
– Blue tarp installation,
– and Removal of demolition debris.

People wishing to register to volunteer or request assistance can call 972-744-0900 beginning Thursday.

Recovery efforts are also ongoing this week in Dallas. The City began mobilizing Convoy Strike Teams Thursday comprised of crews from Oncor, Atmos, DWU, DPD, DFR, Public Works, Transportation, Code, Sanitation, Parks, 3–1-1 to ensure there is a coordinated effort to remove storm debris with a focus on clearing thoroughfares and residential areas.

“The teams are making significant progress and moving into new grid areas,” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. “DFR and Transportation have also developed a process to safely re-open streets that have been cleared. We expect to begin re-opening some streets today based on this new evaluation process.”

US 75 was briefly closed and reopened Wednesday night after a temporary shutdown to allow Oncor crews to attempt to remove a downed billboard in their power lines. But, the work was not completed and will be performed without the need to close the US 75. The Dallas Police Department will deploy 350 barricades across the area to assist with road closures.

The Bachman Recreation Center will continue to serve as a respite center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until approximately Friday, October 25. For immediate needs, contact the Red Cross at 1-800- RED CROSS or 1-800-733-2767.

A total of 10 tornadoes have been confirmed to have touched down in North Texas Sunday. The National Weather Service said Thursday then an EF-0 twister hit a portion of Allen.