Current:Home > NewsIn a north Texas county, dazed residents sift through homes mangled by a tornado -Wealth Evolution Experts
In a north Texas county, dazed residents sift through homes mangled by a tornado
View
Date:2025-04-15 03:55:08
VALLEY VIEW, Texas (AP) — The dazed residents of a remote north Texas county sifted through their mangled homes on Sunday after seven people there were killed when a tornado ripped through the region near the tiny community of Valley View.
Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said there’s “just a trail of debris left” in the area bordering Oklahoma where the dead included two children, ages 2 and 5, in Valley View, a town where barely 800 people live. The bodies of three family members were found in one residence, the sheriff said.
The county bore the brunt of powerful weekend storms that left 15 people dead across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Kevin Dorantes, 20, was in nearby Carrollton when he learned the tornado was bearing down on the Valley View neighborhood where he lived with his father and brother. He called and told them to take cover in the windowless bathroom, where the pair rode out the storm and survived without injury.
Some of Dorantes’ neighbors weren’t so lucky.
As he wandered through the neighborhood surveying downed power lines and devastated properties, he came upon a family whose home was reduced to a pile of splintered rubble. A father and son were trapped under debris, and friends and neighbors worked frantically to get them out, Dorantes said.
“They were conscious but severely injured,” Dorantes said. “The father’s leg was snapped.”
He said they managed to put the father on a mattress and carry him to a truck, where he and his son were driven to an ambulance at a nearby convenience store.
By Sunday afternoon, teams of neighbors and volunteers from a local church helped residents carry furniture and other belongings from inside battered homes into pickups and trailers.
Cynthia De La Cruz said her family hoped to put some of their possessions into storage while they figure out where they’re going to live.
“We’re trying to take whatever we can save,” she said.
Christopher Landeros, 19, was at dinner in nearby Lewisville when his mom, Juana Landeros, called him and said “come find us in the truck.”
Juana, her husband and their 9-year-old son Larry took shelter in their pickup truck under floor mats in their garage. The garage is now gone. A tree crashed through windows.
“It was horrific. Hellish. I just kept thinking we were going to die,” Juana said.
Christopher ran to a neighbor’s house two streets over to help pull out an injured man. The man’s wife and two kids were killed.
The street into their Valley View neighborhood was lined with twisted sheets of metal, pieces of home siding, chunks of plywood, toppled power poles and trees stripped of limbs and bark.
Two young boys parked their bicycles next to an overturned RV and scampered through the wreckage.
veryGood! (4632)
Related
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- 2024 NFL free agency updates: Tracker for Friday's biggest buzz, notable contracts
- Kaia Gerber Reveals Matching Tattoo With The Bear's Ayo Edebiri
- Kelly Ripa’s Trainer Anna Kaiser Wants You to Put Down the Ozempic and Do This to Stay Fit
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Kristen Doute Reveals Her Honest Opinion on Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright's Breakup
- Authorities are seeking a suspect now identified in a New Mexico state police officer’s killing
- Former Tesla worker settles discrimination case, ending appeals over lowered $3.2 million verdict
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- National Association of Realtors to cut commissions to settle lawsuits. Here's the financial impact.
Ranking
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Judge delays Trump’s hush-money criminal trial until mid-April, citing last-minute evidence dump
- Get Your Carts Ready! Free People’s Sale Is Heating Up, With Deals of up to 95% Off
- When is the Boston St. Patrick's Day parade? 2024 route, time, how to watch and stream
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Kristen Doute Reveals Her Honest Opinion on Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright's Breakup
- 22 artifacts looted after the Battle of Okinawa returned to Japan
- After the pandemic, young Chinese again want to study abroad, just not so much in the US
Recommendation
Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
America's Irish heritage: These states have the largest populations from the Emerald Isle
Boeing 737 Max engine issue will take up to a year to fix, company tells lawmakers
St. Patrick's Day 2024 parades livestream: Watch celebrations around the US
McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid Seal Their Romance With a Kiss in New PDA Photo
University of Maryland lifts suspension on most fraternities and sororities amid hazing probe
Maryland House pushes higher taxes, online gambling in $1.3B plan for education and transportation