Tornado Vs. Fiat Chrysler Dealership Is Not a Fair Fight
A Fiat Chrysler-affiliated dealership in Texas was hit by a tornado Saturday night, suffering catastrophic damage to its showroom, service center, and inventory. If you’ve ever wondered how your oversized truck would stack up against the awesome power of Mother Nature, look no further than the scattered and overturned vehicles that once occupied Interstate 20 Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton’s parking lot.
Thankfully, employees left the dealership well before the twister’s arrival — a wise decision, as the majority of it was obliterated by the storm. According to NBC Channel 5 in Dallas-Fort Worth, the general manager made the decision to abandon the building only minutes before the tornado ripped it apart. Overhead footage obtained in the aftermath shows dozens of mangled vehicles thrown hundreds of feet.
Tragically, the dealership destruction was not an isolated incident. At least four tornadoes landed in the surrounding counties on Saturday. Canton Mayor Lou Ann Everett said on Sunday evening four people had been killed in the storm.
“We won’t know what exactly we are dealing with until the sun comes up,” Everett said Saturday. “We have no power. We have three major transmission stations that are damaged.”
[Image captures: KXAS-TV Dallas-Fort Worth]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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The pictures show why cars don't provide much protection from tornadoes. Cars and lots of other heavy objects fly through the air in a moderately strong EF3 tornado. The strongest tornadoes throw trains through the air. https://extremeplanet.me/2013/03/17/fascinating-and-accurate-tornado-records-the-deadliest-the-fastest-the-rarest/ The 2011 Joplin tornado threw concrete bumpers from parking lots through the air. https://extremeplanet.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/2011-joplin-tornado-concrete-parking-stops.png?w=768&h=509
Improved the looks.