NWS Ft. Worth

Tarrant County Tornadoes: April 16, 2002
Preliminary Track Information

On April 17, a team of meteorologists from the National Weather Service in Fort Worth conducted a survey of the damage caused by the tornadoes in Tarrant County.

A total of four separate tornado tracks were found as the storm tracked from near Everman to east Fort Worth.

Picture of tornado damage to a house.

The first tornado developed at 545 pm, near the intersection of Noble Road and Hansbarger Road in Everman. Damage to fences, carports, and

trees was noted as the tornado moved northeast. The tornado then moved through the Bonaventure mobile home park. One mobile home in the park lost most of its roof.

Tarrant County Tornado Track Map from April 16, 2002.

Numerous others suffered minor roof damage and lost skirting around their bases. Trees were also damaged. The tornado dissipated at approximately 548 pm along Lon Stephenson Road and east of Forest Hill drive. This tornado was rated F0 on the Fujita scale, with winds estimated near 70 mph. Path length was 1.6 miles and average path width was 100 Yards.

Tarrant County Tornado Track Map from April 16, 2002. This is a close up map.

The second tornado developed at approximately 551 pm, near the intersection of Anglin drive and southeast Loop 820. Trees were uprooted just north of Loop 820 and Anglin, and shingles were peeled from roofs near Alandale and Suellen Road. Picture of tornado damage to a mobile house. The tornado dissipated at approximately 553 pm between Melinda Road and Mansfield Highway. This tornado was rated F0 on the Fujita Scale, with estimated winds of 60 mph. Path length was 0.6 miles and path width was 50 yards.

The third tornado developed at approximately 554 pm, along Redwood Blvd and north of Collett Little Road. The tornado downed trees and damaged mobile homes along Redwood North and Redwood East streets. The tornado continued northeast, breaking large tree limbs along Mosson and Saunders roads. The tornado crossed east Loop 820 near Sun Valley Drive and dissipated north of Laster Road, just east of Loop 820. This tornado was rated F0 on the Fujita scale, with estimated winds of 70 mph. Path length was 0.8 miles and average path width was 70 yards.

As the third tornado was in progress, the storm developed a new area of rotation west of Lake Arlington. This area spawned the most significant tornado of the four. This tornado developed at 559 pm just south of Ramey Avenue and just east of Loop 820 in east Fort Worth. The tornado damaged a strip mall and heavily damaged a duplex on the south side of Ramey. A large sign from the mall was carried nearly 100 feet. The duplex had its roof removed and portions of the walls were blown down. Several homes along Carruthers, Felder, Debra, and Vel roads had their roofs partially removed.

Photograph of the east Ft. Worth Tornado.
View from the Ballpark in Arlington
Looking west, toward Ft. Worth
Photo by Scott Rae

The tornado moved north-northeast toward the intersection of Handley Drive and Rosedale street, just missing the power generation station on the northwest shore of Lake Arlington. The tornado seemed to reach its maximum intensity in this area.

Tarrant County Tornado Track Map. Tornado #4

Just west of the Handley-Rosedale intersection, a metal-supported billboard sign was bent to the ground. Two businesses, one of brick construction and one of metal, were heavily damaged along Handley drive between Rosedale and Lancaster Avenue.

The brick building had part of its roof removed, part of its roof collapsed, and exterior walls were blown down. The metal building was completely removed from its foundation and deposited 50 feet to the northwest. The tornado turned to the north after it crossed Lancaster Ave. Roof and tree damage was observed between Handley and Forest, to the north of Lancaster.

A church suffered roof damage to the sanctuary and auxiliary buildings near the intersection of Craig and Forest. The tornado weakened as it continued north, and dissipated between Forest and Haynie Streets, to the south of Greenlee Street. Based on the damage to the duplex along Ramey Avenue, and to the businesses along Handley drive, this tornado will be rated F3 with maximum winds estimated near 160 mph. Path length was 2.1 miles with a path width of 80 yards.

Picture of tornado damage to a chruch.