Deaf survivor of Dallas tornado shares experience
[Transcript] This recent Tuesday, we had a news story related to the tornado that plunged through the northern part of Dallas. This tornado was categorized as EF-3 and had winds of 140 mph.
A deaf survivor, Christopher Nelson, who lives in that area explains his experience of what it was like when the tornado passed by his home.
CHRISTOPHER NELSON:
At 9 o’clock, we were warned to please take shelter due to the current tornado warning in effect in the Dallas area. I was really confused because it wasn’t windy outside. There was no raining either. There’s only lightning right now. I didn’t pay it much mind. My friend texted me and then about 10 minutes later, at around 9:20-ish, I went outside in the back on the second-floor patio.
My friend urged me to go hide. I asked where the tornado was now. They said, “it’s on the road in your neighborhood.”
I was pretty shocked because it looked fine outside! All of my neighbors were keeping watch too. I was feeling very uneasy because I’d never experienced this before. I mean I grew up in Florida, in DC and it wasn’t until now that I’d experienced this. The tornado was right in our neighborhood! So, in that moment, I took my dog and saw through my window that the nearby tree started swaying about violently. The rain started to pour. Then a few minutes later, I went into my closet and looked at my bedroom with the lights shut off. So, I was already getting chills then. I was getting worried because I knew the tornado had the potential to wipe out our home. I didn’t know which direction the tornado was coming from. I started to feel the house shake. It felt like a train was passing nearby. There were multiple successive flashes at the windows because of the lightning. Then suddenly, it stopped…
I decided to leave my dog in my closet and closed the door. As I was walking out of my condo and initially, I didn’t see any obvious damages yet. But when I walked further out, everything looks so different. The trees and everything was destroyed. Debris from other houses were everywhere. The pool was completely filthy and everything. I walked down from the patio, still confused, and everything was dark too. The only light we saw were from the sirens from police cars and ambulances. It looked like the end of the world to me. It felt really overwhelming for me. Of course, I got pretty upset, cried a bit, trying to process all this because I’d never experienced this before.
The next day I found out that, if you know what` a ‘tornado scar’ is, my house was right in the tornado’s path. But the tornado changed direction right before it hit my house. There was a 50/50 chance that the tornado would either hit my house or change direction. That just gives me chills thinking about it. Wow, I’d never experienced this. I know I keep saying this, but I’m just in shock. It’s like a tornado being right in your home area instead of it being a safe distance away from you. It just happened to be my turn. I’m still in shock.
There was one moment, between 9:20 to 9:30, there was a 50/50 chance that I’d either survive or die. Like, you don’t have the chance to prepare yourself within that moment. You can’t predict these things or commit to anything then. I think I’m blessed. That experience has changed my perspective for the rest of my life.
RENCA:
Thank you, Nelson, for sharing your story.
The Insurance Council of Texas estimates $2 billion in losses for north Dallas which is one of the state’s costliest weather event.
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/weather/2019/10/23/with-2-billion-in-losses-dallas-area-tornadoes-are-north-texas-costliest-weather-event-insurance-council-says/
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