DALLAS — North Haven Gardens in North Dallas has been around for 70 years and plans to be around for a lot more. This week, the longtime nursery and garden center was hit by its second tornado in a two-year span.
"It's awesome, the power of nature," said Jon Pinkus, a second-generation family owner.
Pinkus shared with WFAA video surveillance from inside his shop. When the tornado hit, the glass doors blew wide open and the wind shuffled lots of items and shattered glass objects. Pinkus was not in the store at the time but employees told him the tornado passed through within seconds.
"It didn't sound believable. They said the tornado's inside the building," Pinkus said.
Third-generation owner Aaron Pinkus has helped pick up the pieces and vividly remembers all the hard work that went into building back up after the 2019 tornado — a tornado that leveled the long-standing nursery.
"Part of me is thinking, like, 'Are the storms chasing me?'" said Aaron Pinkus.
Thankfully the second time around was not as bad. They did lose some merchandise, but the structure is entirely intact. Surveillance video from the outside shows an arch get dismantled within seconds. The shade cloth that hangs above the plants has been tossed a bit and the fence that sits on the west end of the property has come down.
Aside from some minor fixes, the shop should be back open on Tuesday, Jon Pinkus said.
"Sometimes bad things happen and we have to figure out how to have the best attitude," Aaron Pinkus said.
That's wisdom that comes from being around 70 years. Mother Nature is many things, but how we respond says a lot about us, too.