FORT WORTH Ten years ago on March 28, North Texas changed forever.
A tornado hit downtown Fort Worth, Arlington and Grand Prairie; five people were killed in Texas.
The storm caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.
Forecasters knew the storm had the potential to be bad, but no one expected the F-3 tornado that slammed downtown Fort Worth shortly after six o'clock.
The twister came and went in 10 short minutes but it seemed like forever for those who lived through it.
It was shaking the building, one witness said. It was rocking back-and-forth like it was a ship at sea.
The windows just started imploding on our side of the building, another man told reporters. It imploded inward; we were just like totally running for cover.
Landmarks of the business community like the Bank One tower and the Cash America building were heavily damaged.
The winds, packing speed of 150 mph and higher, blew out hundreds of windows in high-rise buildings across downtown.
It was absolutely amazing to see the high-rise buildings, said Keith Wells, Fort Worth's Senior Emergency Management Officer. Some of them still had the lights on, but with curtains, furniture hanging out of the buildings.
Survivors said it looked like a bomb had exploded.
Dozens of buildings were ripped open. Metal and glass were scattered about for miles.
Tractor-trailers were flipped; cars were stacked two and three deep.
Debris everywhere; cars overturned, Wells remembered. Of course, it was getting dark at the time, so it kind of accentuated the eerie appearance of everything.
The tornado killed two people in Fort Worth, including a man who was trying to warn others of the impending tornado near the Montgomery Ward building just west of downtown.
John Hearne and his family clearly remember that night 10 years ago. His home, in the Linwood neighborhood west of downtown, escaped major damage except for a huge tree out front that was ripped from the ground.
Most of the neighborhood was not as lucky.
There was a house over there ... it completely tore the house down, said Peggy Simpson, Hearne's daughter. There wasn't anything there but a foundation.
The same storm system that devastated Fort Worth went on to damage dozens of homes and businesses in Arlington and Grand Prairie when a second touchdown occurred.
And while the serenity of spring is here for now, there are permanent reminders to all that North Texas weather is unpredictable.
We can have severe weather any time of the year, Wells said. You hear about it more during the spring, but people need to be aware.
Experts say the best way to stay safe is to always pay attention to the weather forecast.
Be alert to impending storms.
And if you get caught in a tornado or severe weather, seek shelter inside a sturdy structure immediately.
E-mail tfoster@wfaa.com
