On a quiet Friday night in 2015, an EF-4 tornado tore through North Texas, leaving a trail of devastation that still echoes in Rowlett today.
The 2015 Outbreak
The tornado outbreak produced 12 confirmed tornadoes across eight counties. Thirteen people lost their lives, more than half of the fatalities happening near I-30 and the President George Bush Turnpike. The Sunnyvale-Garland-Rowlett tornado was rated EF-4, with estimated winds of 166 to 200 miles per hour.
Community Response
Rowlett firefighter Troy Ottinger recalled the shock: “There’s a joke that Rowlett has a Rowlett bubble, and nothing happens in Rowlett. Well, we were proved wrong in 2015”, he said. Another fire department member, driver and engineer Wayne Dornich, remembered the scene: “I remember since it was a day after Christmas, I remember seeing devastation, but presents everywhere. I remember seeing Legos, and it seemed like every other house”, Dornich said. Ottinger also described the relief efforts after the storm: “Once the sun rose, you saw people from all over the city just come out and join together in just side by side, picking up belongings, picking up presents, picking up loved ones keys, pictures, valuables, Bibles”, he said.
Rowlett Mayor Jeff Winget reflected on the aftermath: “Out of the tornado came a tremendous effort in our community and really a lot of unity where we came together to help recover, to help overcome some of the challenges that we had”, he said. The storm leveled homes and displaced people for months, but the community’s resilience shone through.
Rowlett Strong
The tragedy gave birth to Rowlett Strong, an organization founded by residents who wanted to keep the spirit of cooperation alive. Steve Walker, President of Rowlett Strong, noted that the group had become “It’s a much tighter-knit group than it used to be. We used to not know our neighbors.” Since its inception, the organization has raised funds for relief and continues to support North Texas first responders, thanking them for their heroic efforts in the tornado aftermath.
Anniversary Ceremony
On Friday night, the city will host a Tornado Remembrance Ceremony at Schrade Bluebonnet Park. The event will run from 6:00 p.m. to 6:56 p.m., marking the exact time the tornado struck the community ten years ago. First responders will reunite with some of the lives they saved a decade earlier. Ottinger expressed his anticipation: “It’s going to be neat to see some of those that we actually worked beside, those citizens that were affected, those citizens that were trapped, that were able to be able to get out”, he said.
Key Takeaways
- Ten-year anniversary of an EF-4 tornado that devastated Rowlett.
- 12 tornadoes, 13 deaths, most fatalities near I-30 and the President George Bush Turnpike.
- Rowlett Strong continues to honor first responders and support the community.
The ceremony underscores how a community that once felt isolated has become tightly knit, united by shared experience and a commitment to help each other.
