Damage estimates are rising as San Antonio recovers from Sunday night' tornado swarm, and even the number of tornadoes that hit the city is growing, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
The National Weather Service now says five tornadoes hit the region in a span of a half hour Sunday night. This tornado touched down in Northeast San Antonio and surrounding areas.
The NWS also says the first, and most violent, tornado had winds of 120 miles an hour, equaling a dangerous hurricane. That's the storm that started at San Pedro and Basse and stayed on the ground, traveling in a northeasterly direction, for more than four miles, leading to much of the major damage west of the Quarry, and in and north of Alamo Heights.
City Manager Sheryl Sculley says the city is moving quickly in cleaning up the damage.
"We have opened our Bitters Road brush recycling center free of charge," she said. "So if citizens want to take their downed tree limbs there they can until the city is back to normal."
For people unable to haul brush to the far north side, Sculley says city crews will continue for the next week to drive up and down the hard hit areas picking up brush and debris that has been left on the curb.
"We will be making several passes on each of the residential streets, so as residents continue to remove debris from their yards as well as brush, they can set it curbside."
She asks that the brush and debris be placed in separate piles, because the brush will be recycled and the debris may not be recyclable.
The City has upped the number of homes in the city which has sustained significant damage to 408.
Code enforcement officers have also been called in to guard against unlicensed contractors preying on storm victims. The emergency shelter that opened on Monday at Blessed Sacrament Church has closed as the city returns to normal, but the Red Cross will continue its mobile food program through the rest of the week.
The City is also organizing volunteer efforts to help those hit by the storm, and the sacrifice of citizens willing to help is what amazes Mayor Ivy Taylor the most.
"It made be feel blessed full of compassionate people who are looking for ways we can all work together," the Mayor said.
She cited several examples of people who have come from the unaffected parts of the City to provide food, help with tree limb cutting, and provide other services without charge to people who were hit by the storm.
GRAPHIC; NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE