A tightly wound funnel is how resident Jerry Cern described the tornado that decimated areas of south-central and southeast Richardson in the late hours of Oct. 20.

"It was skinny—wasn't a big monster or anything," he said. "But look what it did to that traffic light? That's real power."

Cern and his neighbors were some of the most severely affected by the tornado, which touched down near Centennial Boulevard and South Bowser Road. No fatalities have been reported, according to the city.

"The only emergency vehicle we didn't see last night was an ambulance," Cern said. "Apparently, everyone made it out by the hair of their chinny chin chin."