Texas
Texas RV park residents use timely 10-minute warning to shelter from deadly tornado
As her son slept Saturday night in the bedroom of their small RV, Brittany Goss nervously tracked news alerts on the storm that was growing angry outside the thin wood-paneled walls of her home.
The weather looked bad, but it seemed to be shifting north, away from the coveted RV community at the Lake Ray Roberts marina she and her husband and son had just moved to a week earlier. Maybe they had already seen the worst of it, she thought.
Photos: Celina neighborhood mangled by late-night tornado
In a small house up the road from the RV park, marina owners Bill and Sherri Williams’ phone rang. It was a friend in Oklahoma who was tracking the storm and watched as it veered from its original path.
“It’s coming your way,” he told the couple. “You have 10 minutes.”
The Williamses jumped into their truck and drove around the marina blaring their horn. They screamed at anyone they could find to take shelter in the walk-in cooler of the marina’s vacant restaurant. It was the only safe place in a community of boats and campers.
Goss heard the frantic honking over the wind and rain. Something is wrong, she thought.
She shook her 7-year-old son awake, grabbed her wallet and raced to her car. In the blackness of the night and the rage of the storm, she drove as fast as she could away from the RV park. If there was a tornado or where it was, she didn’t know. She just knew she wasn’t going to be caught in an RV during one.
Inside the marina restaurant next to the RV park, the Williamses shut themselves and more than a dozen other people inside the walk-in refrigerator. Within minutes the light bulb inside flickered and went dark. The roof groaned and they listened as parts of it peeled away from the building.
For 15 minutes they huddled in the cooler as the storm ripped apart the restaurant and the world outside of it. They thought about the people who didn’t come out of their RVs in time to make it into the makeshift storm shelter. There were at least five of them unaccounted for.
“Everyone is coming out of this alive,” Bill Williams said to himself.
Once the storm passed, he and the others emerged from the cooler to find a horrific scene awaiting them in the dark. RVs were torn in half and thrown across the park as if they were pieces of cardboard caught up in a gust of wind. A man, alive but injured, laid in the parking lot amongst the debris.
The Williamses and the group they sheltered with rushed to the man’s aid and started pushing their way past mangled pieces of metal and vinyl to find other survivors.
“We listened for yells and moans,” Bill Williams said.
They found seven people who had been trapped in their RVs or thrown from their homes during the storm, he said. They were all found alive and somehow made it out with non-life threatening injuries. Only one remains in the hospital, Bill Williams said.
Goss managed to escape to her mother’s home in nearby Aubrey and started piecing together the picture of the reality she and her son narrowly escaped. Every single one of the 24 RVs at the park was destroyed, neighbors told her. Every inch of the community they once called home was unlivable, ripped apart by a storm that cut a path across Cooke and Denton counties in North Texas.
When she arrived at the marina the next morning, Goss found blue skies and an unimaginable scene. Shoes, books, deodorant sticks, spatulas, mattresses, half-eaten waffles, cans of sardines and sinks were strewn across the parking lot. Part of a couch stuck out from a gaping hole in the restaurant’s roof. Her RV, which had been thrown across the street from where it was parked, was unrecognizable.
In the 95-degree heat with air that smelled of gasoline and punctured septic tanks, she and her neighbors picked through the pulverized remnants of their homes to salvage what they could. She managed to save most of their clothes and a few family photos. The rest was lost to the storm.
“We were going to go fishing and hang out by the marina today, but we’re doing this instead,” she said. “I’m just grateful we’re alive.”
SAN ANTONIO — South Texas Blood & Tissue worked late last night and early this morning to prepare and send blood units to Austin in the wake of the mass shooting on 6th street early Sunday.
The Blood Emergency Readiness Corp (BERC) has been activated and an additional 140 units have been sent from various blood centers, including O negative and O positive.
The blood bank says community support is critical and community members are encouraged to donate at any local donor center.
3 dead, 14 injured in Austin mass shooting on 6th Street, suspect fatally shot by officers
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones shared her condolences, adding that commonsense gun reform may prevent such tragedies in the future.
I’m deeply saddened to hear of the mass shooting in Austin that killed and injured so many,” Mayor Jones said in a statement. “Let’s keep our neighbors to the north in our prayers, that those injured recover quickly and the families of the victims who were needlessly murdered are comforted. We must prevent such tragedies from happening through commonsense gun solutions. Thank you to the first responders who were at the scene and prevented further loss of life.
U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro condemned the country’s gun violence in an X post saying in part “Congress must continue to work to end the scourge of gun violence in our country.”
San Antonio’s FBI office is also assisting the Austin Police Department in their investigation, officials shared at a press briefing this morning.
Special Agent Alex Doran said the joint terrorism task force is helping investigate potential early indications of terrorism.
“We have members from our Evidence Response team as well as our many other specialty teams, including our digital forensics folks that are on scene, helping to address the scene and gather additional evidence,” Doran said. “Obviously, it’s still way too early in the process to determine an exact motivation, but there were indicators that on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism. Again, it’s still too early to make a determination on that.”
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
This is a developing story.
It’s that time of year again – prom season. For many students, it’s a night to remember, but between dresses and other expenses, the costs can add up quickly. Every year, St. Andrew’s Methodist Church steps up to help ease the financial burden for families, offering free prom dresses and accessories to young women.
“I’m feeling very excited, very happy, you know it’s all like coming to me at once,” said Gabrielle Bennett, a high school junior.
Prom season is a moment many young girls look forward to, and finding the perfect dress.
Boutique experience for every shopper
“It was a lot of searching through a lot of dresses.. and seeing what fits, what doesn’t, what looks nice, and then you finally find one, and it fits perfect,” said Ally Atkins, a high school senior.
For 17 years, St. Andrew’s Methodist Church has opened its prom closet to girls across North Texas, helping those who may not be able to afford the high cost of prom. This year, organizers hope to serve 1,400 shoppers. There are more than 5,000 dresses to choose from in different colors, styles, and sizes.
“Every young lady should feel special at prom. Every young lady deserves to be beautiful, and in some cases, some of these young ladies, this would not be possible,” said Kathy Moore, a Prom Closet chairman.
Community donations make it possible
The experience is designed to feel like a real boutique – from trying on dresses to grabbing the perfect shoes, bag, and accessories. Everything is donated.
“I had one yesterday that walked into our dress area, and she stopped and just said, ‘wow,’ and so right there, that moment, that’s why we do it,” Moore said.
Organizers said the event is made possible by community donations and dozens of volunteers, but they’re always looking for more help. Next year, they hope to serve even more girls, continuing their mission to make more prom dreams come true.
“I want to thank this whole organization, I’m very grateful,” Bennett said.
How to participate
If you know someone who may need a prom dress this season, the Prom Closet is open until March 7. It is by appointment only. For more information, visit: https://standrewmethodist.org/prom-closet/
PHOTOS: Long Beach State Dirtbags vs. Washington State, Baseball
Setting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
West Virginia Surrenders Six-Run Lead, Falls in Series Finale to Kennesaw State
Meyer’s Late Score Lifts Wyoming past Air Force – SweetwaterNOW
Crypto Sector Suffers Exodus of Reliable Retail Investors | PYMNTS.com
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
House Republicans push Johnson to go to war with Senate over SAVE Act
Israel FM says Europe too divided, slams Spanish PM
Satellite images provide view inside Iran at war
Video: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms
Dems’ potential 2028 hopefuls come out against US strikes on Iran
-
World4 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts4 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO4 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana7 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
News1 week agoWorld reacts as US top court limits Trump’s tariff powers