Official City Release
A twister that made history: Remembering the tornado of 2000
Mentioned Entities
Analysis
Overview
An F3 tornado struck downtown Fort Worth on March 28, 2000 at approximately 6:18 p.m., causing $450 million in damage, two deaths, and 80 injuries in under ten minutes.
Public Safety
Development & Land Use
Community Impact
Insights by Role
Journalist
LowLow significance — routine or procedural itemThe article supplies a verified then-vs-now record for eight named CBD properties — addresses, damage descriptions, and current occupants — providing a ready-made audit framework for a 26th anniversary feature. The Calvary Cathedral-to-City-Hall conversion and the Montgomery Ward-to-Montgomery-Plaza transformation are the most visually documentable before-and-after pairs.
Source Text
Open source →If the phrase “March 28, 2000” is triggering for you, we totally understand. If it’s not, then allow us to explain why that date is imprinted in many a Fort Worthian’s mind.
At approximately 6:18 p.m., an F3 tornado touched down about four miles west of downtown. (Note: F3 tornado winds can reach over 200 mph.) It pounced on the Monticello neighborhood like a feral feline, scratching its way east along West Seventh Street, clawing through Linwood, biting into the Montgomery Ward building and ripping other structures like prey.
Nearly every Central Business District building had at least some of its windows broken out, not to mention interior impact from wind and rain. Two people lost their lives and another 80 were injured.
In less than 10 minutes, the tornado caused $450 million in damage, leaving a trail of widespread havoc and destruction. What made it even more shocking: It struck an area few ever expected a tornado to hit — right in the heart of a bustling downtown.
Picking up the pieces
The affected area resembled a war zone. Once gleaming skyscrapers stood shellshocked; smaller structures were reduced to rubble. Houses were missing roofs, windows, entire walls. Decades-old trees were ripped from the ground; vehicles were strewn like children’s toys. Glass rained down from skyscrapers throughout the night and following days, the debris like shiny daggers. Folks were stunned.
Never in a million years did we think this was possible on our home turf.
The fallout was immediate, cleanup took weeks and some redevelopment spanned years. The damage was daunting, but residents rallied through the rubble. And incredibly (or, some might say, unsurprisingly), the city emerged better than before. New development sprung up downtown, filling in the empty spots and filling out existing sites. The skyline transformed.
This includes Fort Worth’s own City Hall, formerly the Pier 1 Imports headquarters, built in 2004 on the patch of land that Calvary Cathedral once occupied.
It also resulted in an iconic art piece that stands proud at a major Westside intersection connecting Camp Bowie Boulevard and University Drive.
A quote from then Mayor Kenneth Barr in the 2001 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Souvenir Annual sums up the collective effort perfectly:
“As you can tell, Fort Worth is proud of its Western heritage. Our community is as tough as the array of boots that you see at the Stock Show. Over the years we have enjoyed good times and weathered tough times. Last year, a tornado damaged downtown property, but it did not damage the Fort Worth spirit.”
Some of the structures that suffered significant damage included:
Bank One Tower (500 Throckmorton St.): About 80% of its 3,000 windows were smashed, plus severe structural damage. Thankfully the 35-story high-rise was repairable and today is known as The Tower.
Calvary Cathedral (west corner of Penn and Fifth streets): Severely damaged. Demolished. City Hall occupies the site today.
Cash America International building (1600 W. Seventh St.): Repaired/renovated. FirstCash today.
Educational Employees Credit Union (1617 W. Seventh St.): Repaired.
Mallick Tower (101 Summit Ave.): Repaired/renovated.
Montgomery Ward building (2600 W. Seventh St.): Redeveloped/renovated. Montgomery Plaza today.
Sweet Shop factory (2000 White Settlement Road; now Westside Drive): Nine members of the cleaning crew escaped with their lives. Leveled.
UPR Plaza (777 Main St.): Repaired. 777 Main today.
View various pieces of video footage captured March 28, 2000.
Note: Interestingly, there’s a video clip in this collection that NBC 5 aired a month prior about staying safe during a tornado. Little did we know …
Videos courtesy of UNT Libraries Special Collections.
Upper West Side area of downtown. (JPG, 334KB) Damaged Cash America International building (left), then; renovated FirstCash building, now. (JPG, 464KB) The day after the tornado, looking north down Main Street toward the Tarrant County Courthhouse. UPR Plaza (now 777 Main) at right. (JPG, 444KB) UPR Plaza. (JPG, 524KB) Scattered debris west of downtown off West Seventh Street. (JPG, 328KB) Cash America International. (JPG, 311KB) UPR Plaza. (JPG, 431KB) Base and bottom floors of the Bank One building. (JPG, 711KB) UPR Plaza. (JPG, 436KB) Seventh Street west of downtown. W. 7th St. Barber Shop and the Color Wheel paint store were among many structures that were damaged beyond repair. (JPG, 366KB) Calvary Cathedral. Fort Worth City Hall occupies this site today. (JPG, 390KB) Cash America International. (JPG, 579KB) Bank One building, which today gleams even brighter as The Tower. (JPG, 362KB) Warehouses behind the former Montgomery Ward building, which was renovated and known as Montgomery Plaza today. (JPG, 371KB) Vehicles pass the Montgomery Ward building on West Seventh Street, with damaged downtown buildings in the background. (JPG, 352KB) Close-up view of the Cash America International building. Note the Bank One building and UPR Plaza in the background. (JPG, 337KB) Skyscrapers were scuffed but still stood proud. (JPG, 672KB) Calvary Cathedral amid the rubble. (JPG, 291KB) Cash America International. Note the heavily damaged domed roof of Calvary Cathedral in the background. (JPG, 326KB) Cash America International. (JPG, 319KB) FirstCash building today. Photo taken from the top floor of the City Hall parking garage. (JPG, 521KB)
Upper West Side area of downtown.
Damaged Cash America International building (left), then; renovated FirstCash building, now.
The day after the tornado, looking north down Main Street toward the Tarrant County Courthhouse. UPR Plaza (now 777 Main) at right.
UPR Plaza.
Scattered debris west of downtown off West Seventh Street.
Cash America International.
UPR Plaza.
Base and bottom floors of the Bank One building.
UPR Plaza.
Seventh Street west of downtown. W. 7th St. Barber Shop and the Color Wheel paint store were among many structures that were damaged beyond repair.
Calvary Cathedral. Fort Worth City Hall occupies this site today.
Cash America International.
Bank One building, which today gleams even brighter as The Tower.
Warehouses behind the former Montgomery Ward building, which was renovated and known as Montgomery Plaza today.
Vehicles pass the Montgomery Ward building on West Seventh Street, with damaged downtown buildings in the background.
Close-up view of the Cash America International building. Note the Bank One building and UPR Plaza in the background.
Skyscrapers were scuffed but still stood proud.
Calvary Cathedral amid the rubble.
Cash America International. Note the heavily damaged domed roof of Calvary Cathedral in the background.
Cash America International.
FirstCash building today. Photo taken from the top floor of the City Hall parking garage.
Photos courtesy of the Fort Worth History Center.
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