On the afternoon of April 3, what some had worked a lifetime to build was torn down in a matter of minutes as Arlington was hit by a swift and unusual tornado outbreak.

In the storm's path, hundreds of homes and buildings were damaged thousands of trees destroyed. Interim City Manager and Community Development and Planning Director Jim Parajon walked through the neighborhoods of southwest Arlington hit hardest shortly after the storms moved through. "My thoughts focused on the families whose lives were impacted by the tornado," said Parajon. "I was very thankful no lives were lost in this natural disaster."

One Month Later

Parajon says while recovery may be long, significant progress has been made over the last month. With the help of family, volunteers and city staff, residents are moving forward in rebuilding their homes and neighborhoods. In fact, more than 300 permits have already been issued by staff and more than 100 inspections have been conducted as residents repair and move back into their homes.

The daily debris clean up was completed within ten days of the tornado. Regular weekly pickups are ongoing and will continue until the cleanup is complete. Another important milestone is within reach for the City of Arlington as all infrastructure repairs should be completed in the next couple of weeks.

By the Numbers

• The City incurred approximately $1.2 million in overall response costs for emergency protective measures, debris removal and ongoing recovery efforts.

• 492 homes were impacted with 13 destroyed and 35 suffering major damage. All others were minimally affected or sustained light to moderate damage.

• There were 7 minor to moderate injuries and 1 severe injury. The severely injured patient is expected to make a full recovery.

What's Next

According to Parajon, the pace of the work is expected to continue. "Progress which has been made is amazing." He said, "Within hours, residents were working on their homes and properties. Within days, people were moving back into their homes. Now, a month later, residents are making significant progress on repairing their homes."