ROWLETT, Texas — Eight years have passed since one of the darkest days in Garland and Rowlett history.
On Dec. 26, 2015, the day after Christmas looked much different than this year’s clear skies.
Severe weather in 2015 brought an outbreak of tornadoes across North Texas.
When a devastating EF-4 tornado crossed over I-30 in parts of Garland, Sunnyvale, and Rowlett dozens of lives were changed forever.
Tuesday, Rowlett Mayor Blake Margolis took a moment to commemorate the Dec. 26th tragedy in a Facebook post.
“It’s a night that will never be forgotten in Rowlett,” Margolis told WFAA. “I remember that night vividly, being huddled in the closet and listening to the police and fire radio at the time.”
Nine people died at the overpass. The tornado’s force left drivers trapped inside their vehicles. Hundreds of homes were blown out, and 18 people were taken to the hospital, Margolis said.
Among the victims who lost their lives was Katherine Tippet’s daughter, Kim. She was driving home to Garland, but she and her one-year-old son never made it.
“I just stood outside of my car, waiting and every car that came by, I was like here she comes,” Tippet told WFAA during an emotional interview in 2016, a year after the tornado.
Margolis shared new aerial images that show the recovery. Hundreds of homes were destroyed, but today, only four concrete slabs where homes once stood remain.
“You can’t physically see the remnants of what it was. We’ve physically recovered,” Margolis said. “We rose up, got stronger, and rebuilt very quickly.”
While Margolis said he believes his city had a great response in 2015, city leadership has taken additional steps to enhance preparedness.
According to Margolis, Rowlett has all-new weather sirens and a brand-new operation center equipped with new technology.
Years later, Margolis said his community’s resilience brings him hope.
“Knowing that whenever there is a time of need, a struggle going on in our community… I have no doubt that all of us as a community will immediately come back together again,” Margolis said.