MD80 CREW PARKED THEMSELVES WITHOUT BENEFIT OF ATCT CTL AFTER THE TWR AT DFW WAS ABANDONED DUE TO TORNADOES ON THE ARPT.

Narrative

NONSTANDARD OP. SHORTLY AFTER LNDG AT DFW; BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO REACH THE GATE; THE RAMP CLOSED DUE TO LIGHTNING. THE WX GOT WORSE AND DFW EVACED THE CTL TWR. DISPATCH AND RAMP CTL RPTED TORNADOES S AND SW OF DFW MOVING N AND NE. THE FOLKS IN THE TERMINAL TOOK ALL PAX IN THE TERMINAL DOWNSTAIRS DUE TO THE TORNADO 'WARNING.' XXX WAS OUR GATE; AND WE HAD UNOBSTRUCTED ACCESS TO IT. I REQUESTED PERMISSION FROM RAMP CTL TO PARK THE ACFT MYSELF; AND TO HAVE AN AGENT AVAILABLE TO HOOK UP THE BRIDGE. RAMP PERSONNEL WERE AVAILABLE AND WATCHING FROM BELOW THE OVERHANG BEHIND THE GATE. WE GOT PERMISSION FROM THE RAMP MGR; AND SLOWLY STARTED TOWARDS THE GATE. THE RAMP PEOPLE WERE IMMEDIATELY AWARE OF MY INTENTION TO PARK; AND PROVIDED GUIDANCE FROM THEIR LOCATION. THERE WERE 4 OR 5 OF THEM THERE; WITH 2 OBVIOUSLY WATCHING THE WINGTIP CLRNC. WITH TORNADOES IMPACTING THE ARPT; AND OUR LIMITED ABILITY TO HAVE TIME CRITICAL INFO; AND NO OUTSIDE VISUAL REF; I MADE THE DECISION TO GET THE PEOPLE SAFELY OFF OF THE ACFT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. AT NO TIME DID I FEEL MY ACTIONS TO BE UNSAFE. THE FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVE RIDING THE JUMP SEAT CONCURRED WITH MY DECISION. THE FOLKS IN THE RAMP TWR; ON THE GND; THE AGENT; DISPATCH; EVEN THE UNNAMED CAPT WHO WALKED OUT INTO THE DRIVING RAIN TO OFFER GUIDANCE; DID AN EXEMPLARY JOB.