Tag Archive for: Tornado

Stonewater & Purple Heart Homes Help Tyler Veteran Get New Roof

Stonewater Roofing recently teamed up with Purple Heart Homes to help a disabled veteran in Tyler get a new roof.

Kelly Fromm served as a counterintelligence agent in the military for nearly 14 years, but was forced into retirement in 2001 after sustaining severe injuries. “I broke both my legs and shattered my back,” he said. During surgery, doctors discovered that Fromm had a neurodegenerative disease. “That ended by career abruptly.”

The veteran relocated to Tyler in 2020, and his new home fell victim to a tornado just two years later. “What brought attention to the roof was the last storm we had here,” Fromm explained. “You can see where the tornado came right through our property. It went from the front, all the way down, and took all these big, giant trees out that you see these stumps.”

“The house shook,” Fromm continued, but his insurance company claimed that his home was not damaged by the tornado. “They told me that the house shaking was not from the wind storm.” The company stated that old age was to blame and refused to cover the cost of repairs.

Fromm was unable to afford the cost of a new roof, so he reached out to Purple Heart Homes, a national nonprofit that offers safe housing solutions to disabled veterans. To date, Purple Heart Homes as completed more than 1,000 projects. They were the ones who connected Fromm with Stonewater Roofing. “Next thing you know, you guys are doing the roof on the house,” he said.

“Your crew is very professional,” Fromm added.

Kelly Fromm & Stonewater Roofing

A look at the final product after disabled veteran Kelly Fromm received a new roof on his Tyler home with help from Purple Heart Homes and Stonewater Roofing.

Stonewater Roofing, in turn, partnered with GAF and ABC Supply to not only replace, but upgrade Fromm’s old roof. Parts of the home were redecked and the disabled veteran received Timberline ArmorShield II impact resistant shingles. These are protected from wind and algae, and able to withstand the toughest hail tests.

ABC Supply provided the new decking. “Part of this house was built in 1957, so the decking on that side has been compromised,” explained Stonewater Roofing project manager Dusty Phillips. “We are going to be pulling it off and redecking it.”

Meanwhile, GAF donated many of the shingles used in this project. “It’s very significant,” Fromm said. “It shows their respect for the veteran community and to the Purple Heart Homes mission to help veterans like myself.”

When the project was finished, Fromm was very grateful to have Purple Heart Homes on his side, along with Stonewater Roofing and their partners. “They couldn’t do it without companies like Stonewater Roofing and GAF that support the cause,” he said.

Tornado Hits Dallas, Storm Then Brings Destruction To East Texas

Powerful storms blew through Northeast Texas on Sunday night and early Monday morning, leaving behind extensive damage to homes and businesses. There were reports of quarter-sized hail, tornadoes and straight-line winds that reached more than 100 mph in some areas.

The most severe weather struck the DFW Metroplex, and Dallas in particular.

Officials with the National Weather Service have confirmed that tornado touched down near Dallas Love Field on Sunday night before moving northeast through the city. There were no serious injuries reported, but nearly 140,000 people were left without electricity across Dallas, Richardson, Garland, Rowlett, Sachse and surrounding cities.

Power lines were torn down, trees were knocked over and many structures were damaged or destroyed.

A house owned by Dallas Stars player Tyler Seguin was among the buildings ripped apart by the tornado. The athlete explained on Twitter that this property was actually for sale, and that he had recently moved to another home. Seguin thanked those who reached out to him online and called the situation “an extremely sad sight to see.”

Many more homes, schools and shopping centers were left in shambles after the tornado. Tina Devlin of Dallas told KXAS-TV that her house was a “total loss,” and similar reports came from homeowners in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas, Garland and Sachse. “I heard all the snapping of the trees and the wind blowing, and so I climbed into this bedroom closet, and just as I got in there, the roof blew off,” Devlin said.

Shingles were reported missing from roofs in various cities from Keller, located north of Fort Worth, all the way to Carthage, to the southeast of Longview. That is a path of nearly 200 miles.

Dallas Fire-Rescue also responded to a structure collapse on Sunday night. Seven people escaped from the building, said to be an auto repair shop, just before it came down. Firefighters also received calls about broken glass and debris at multiple homes, and a 7-Eleven convenience store that collapsed. Again, everybody made it outside without injury.

Even a fire station was not safe from the overnight storm’s destruction. According to Jason Evans with Dallas Fire-Rescue, one of the department’s stations sustained significant damage — including a partial roof collapse — as a result of strong wind gusts and flying debris. No firefighters were hurt, but the building was left uninhabitable.

Radio station KNON-FM went off the air when the storm hit. Lew Morris of “Reckless Rock Radio” told The Associated Press that the Dallas building’s power went out just before the “distictive whistle” of a tornado. “We then heard the building shaking and could hear the glass windows shattering everywhere along with debris banging around. We waited until all the noise died down,” Morris recalled. The studio was destroyed, but staff members were not harmed.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Independent School District canceled classes at some schools on Monday, citing damage to campuses.

After the storm ravaged the DFW area, it marched toward East Texas with the same fury. The National Weather Service stated that a tornado also touched down near Fair Play on Sunday night, about nine miles west of Carthage. Power lines were ripped apart and trees were toppled in Henderson, Pine Hill and Alba. A hardware store in Troup was destroyed.

Crews with the National Weather Service will be surveying the storm damage in Rusk County and Panola County on Monday to determine if more tornadoes were responsible for some of this destruction.

Let the experts from Stonewater Roofing help you get your life back on track after this devastating storm. We have crews across East Texas available to assist with the cleanup efforts and inspect your property for damage. We are ready to help homeowners and businesses find peace of mind after this disaster. Stonewater Roofing is here for you.

City Limits Apartments Residents Happy With New Roof

The weather in Texas can change in a minute, and it is often unforgiving. Powerful wind gusts. Hailstones that are the size of baseballs. A violent tornado. The remnants of a Gulf Coast hurricane. No matter what Mother Nature is throwing your way, safety is the top priority.

Few people understand this better than the owners of multi-family dwellings.

That is why Stonewater Roofing is proud to have just completed a project at the City Limits Apartments in far north Dallas. The residents of this 406-unit complex can rest easy, knowing that they are well protected from the harshest elements that Texas has to offer.

“One thing Stonewater brings to the table with these multi-families is our knowledge of the industry,” said COO Jacob Law, adding that the company is able to make sure that projects are not only done properly, but also smoothly. “We want to make sure that things go on as smooth as possible on a day-to-day basis.”

“These apartment complexes are going to stand for a while,” Law continued, “and they’re going to need to satisfy their residents.” Those living in the three-story Dallas apartment buildings seem to be quite pleased with the results.

“We had a resident come out today, and she said she’s been living in this particular apartment complex over 10 years. She’s a home nurse. She came out to thank us,” Law recalled. “She’s needed to get in and out of the apartment with her client a few times, and our guys have been there to assist.”

But it’s not just Stonewater Roofing that had the woman and others smiling. “The residents here seem to be pretty happy,” Law said, “that not only we’re out here doing it, but that the owners took the time and investment to make this property better.”

Stonewater Roofing works closely with property owners and insurance companies to make sure that multi-family buildings like this get the proper roof installed by highly-skilled and experienced professionals, all at an affordable cost.