Tornado damage closes Gordon ISD for the week, Santo ISD reopens Tuesday
Severe storm damage in Gordon: May 18 tornadoes
NORTH TEXAS - Santo ISD will reopen Tuesday, May 20, following a wave of tornadoes that swept through North Texas over the weekend, but some districts remain closed due to severe storm damage.
Tornadoes cause school closures in North Texas
Palo Pinto County residents begin tornado recovery
The National Weather Service has confirmed a total of seven tornadoes that swept through North Texas on Sunday. FOX 4's Payton May has more on recovery efforts as some school districts remain closed.
What we know:
Santo ISD announced schools will resume normal hours on Tuesday. Utilities have been restored at Santo High School, and buses will run on their regular schedules. The district was closed Monday, May 19, due to storm damage in the area.
Texas tornadoes: 7 tornadoes confirmed in North Texas Sunday
Storm damages in the western part of our area has caused two school districts to close in Palo Pinto County.
Gordon ISD closed for the week
Gordon ISD announced Monday that all campuses will remain closed for the rest of the week due to significant storm damage from Sunday’s severe weather.
Gordon High School was among the hardest-hit areas. Debris and heavy damage were reported around the football field and track. Several buildings were destroyed, and light poles were knocked down.
According to Palo Pinto County Emergency Management, 36 buildings in Gordon were damaged. Five of those sustained major damage, and one was completely destroyed.
What they're saying:
"Our baseball team is playing in the regional finals this week in Weatherford, so obviously trying to figure out how to manage a practice amongst taking care of the seriousness of what’s going on here and not being insensitive to that," said Mike Reed, Gordon ISD athletic director.
North Texas community supports local schools
The Texas Rangers Foundation is stepping in to help Gordon High School’s baseball team prepare for regionals, donating over 100 game balls, a pitching machine, bats, gloves, and financial support.
The backstory:
The National Weather Service confirmed seven tornadoes touched down in North Texas on Sunday. That includes an EF-0 tornado in Santo, another just south of Santo, and an EF-U tornado southeast of Santo.
EF-U stands for "EF-Unknown," indicating the tornado’s intensity could not be determined due to a lack of visible damage.
The Source: Information from this article comes from Santo ISD and Gordon ISD Facebook posts, the National Weather Service, and previous FOX 4 coverage.