Dallas Cowboys' indoor practice facility collapses
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The afternoon practice at Valley Ranch in Irving ended in horrifying fashion when the roof over the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility collapsed during a thunderstorm. Rescue personnel are still searching the debris, but initial reports put the number of injured at six to 10 people. Mayor Herbert Gears said one person was in critical condition. At least four members of the team's support staff were taken to the hospital, according to a Cowboys spokesman. Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said special teams coach Joe DeCamillis suffered a neck injury and was taken to an area hospital by ambulance. "He was moving his hands, and he was talking," Phillips said before leaving for the hospital. Phillips said a couple of players suffered minor injuries. The bubble roof of the facility collapsed about 3:30 p.m. as a violent thunderstorm unleashed heavy rain and winds First the indoor lights started shaking, then chaos broke out as the roof collapsed and players, coaches, reporters and team personnel scrambled for safety. The National Weather Service recorded wind gusts in excess of 60 mph near Valley Ranch around that time. There’s no indication that a tornado touched down, weather service meteorologist Daniel Huckaby said. “When you are talking of winds in excess of 60 mph, it can certainly cause damage,” Huckaby said. “They can easily be as strong as a low-end tornado." Duane Witzowski, who works at a gas station a block away from the facility, said powerful wind gusts pummeled the area for a few minutes starting around 3:30 p.m. The wind tore branches from trees, knocked down signs and nearly uprooted a gasoline pump at his Valero station, Witzowski said. “It felt like we were the middle of a tornado,” he said. He said a steady stream of fire engines and ambulances were still arriving more than an hour afterward.
