It started like any other Sunday.
Students, faculty, parents and staff enjoyed their weekend, prepared for Monday, and watched the Sunday night Cowboys game.
In less than half an hour, North Dallas changed forever. On Oct. 20, 2019, an EF3 tornado ripped through the city, tearing down businesses and homes.
“I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing,” President of the Board of Trustees Fraser Marcus said. “There was devastation everywhere. Homes were almost demolished. Families were walking around in disbelief. The smell of natural gas stained the air.”
It was like nothing Preston Hollow had ever experienced, almost like a scene out of a disaster movie.
“I thought it was a prank,” basketball coach Greg Guiler said. “The whole thing felt like somebody photoshopped some things together or was just messing around.”
Cornerstones of the community were erased in the blink of an eye.
“I remember going by the fire station and thinking, ‘Oh, my God, that fire station’s been there since I was a 5-year-old,” Marcus said. “I remember going to the dedication of the fire station when I was a child and just like that it was gone.”
Amidst the wave of destruction, the campus had been hit hard. Buildings were left overturned and familiar landmarks unrecognizable. Hicks Gym was destroyed, Decherd had no roof, and pieces of the chapel were lying in the middle of the quad.
“It was like a war zone,” Chief Financial Officer Suzanne Townsend said. “By the time we made it to campus, we had tears in our eyes because we care so much and our campus is so beautiful. It just felt like what do we do? Where do we begin?”
This uncertainty, though heavy, didn’t linger for long. With unwavering determination, Townsend quickly stepped in, pouring heart and effort into addressing the damages.
“I immediately started calling people,” Townsend said. “By Monday there were over 100 workers here to begin the repairs. We had workers from every trade and it was amazing to see how quickly they came together to help given how widespread the damage was.”
This wouldn’t be the last time Townsend witnessed such resilience. Coming together quickly became the defining theme in the aftermath of the tornado. With the campus in no shape to host a football game and the homecoming match just a week away, the challenges ahead seemed daunting and would require the community coming together.
“Greenhill reached out to us and said, “Hey, we’ll host homecoming for you guys,” Athletic Director Sean Lissemore said. “I remember talking to their athletic director, Jared Shine. He was coordinating with myself, and Josh Freisen and they said we’ll host it for you guys. They went above and beyond, and they actually lined the field with our colors, they allowed us to bring our goalpost pads and put them on their goalposts. It really speaks volumes about the relationship between SPC schools.”
As the issues on the football field were being handled, basketball season was quickly approaching. The team, ranked No. 14 in the state and featuring two four-star recruits, a three-star, and a five-star, faced a major challenge—no gym to practice in.
“We had to pivot,” Lissemore said. “We actually reconfigured Spencer gym and put down a new hardwood floor, moved the stands, repainted everything and turned that into our primary home court gym. It really is a testament to the community. The way that we pivoted and the way that we made this happen in under a month, coming back in time for the start of counter season for basketball.”
The destruction of the gym may have taken a toll on the season itself, but the team refused to let it hold them back. Instead, it brought them closer together.
“The whole basketball team showed up and worked at somebody’s house,” Guiler said. They were getting all this debris cleared, helping all these people. The guys were just so mindful of others.”
