A Texas community is in shambles after a deadly tornado. On Saturday evening, a powerful tornado collapsed a gas station in Valley View killing at least five. Children were among the victims. It also injured 80 people with authorities expecting the death total to rise. A severe storm spawned tornadoes across Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
In a statement, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said dozens of people took shelter at the AP Travel Center. It was both a Shell gas station as well as home to a few restaurants. Due to the severe storm, travelers sought shelter at the gas station when conditions became too bad for them to travel.
The footage below shows the aftermath of the tornado. Sadly, they were right in its path. The gas station looks very much like a warzone, reduced to a rubble of metal and concrete. Many travelers became trapped inside after the tornado hit. Emergency responders had to come to their aid.
?#BREAKING: A Mass casualty event has been declared at a truck stop shell gas station with up to 150 people trapped with the roof collapsed
Currently, emergency crews have just declared a mass casualty event after a large, violent tornado passed through? pic.twitter.com/ExxBf2KgW6
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) May 26, 2024
Texas Community In Shambles After Tornado
"I can also tell you that number is going to go up," Sappington told WFAA of the death toll. "I don't want to speculate and give you a number. It took some time to get back in there because of all the damage with the power lines, and trees were down. It was kind of a monumental task just to get back to where they were."
Downed powerlines hampered rescue efforts. The sheriff urged locals to stay away due to gas leaks and downed powerlines int he area. However, he promised the community would rebuild from this devastating blow. "We'll rebuild," he said. "It's Texas. We can rebuild property, and as horrible as this looks, in two or three months, it won't look like this [then]. It'll be better. But the loss of life is just tragic. It's always tragic. That's what hurts the most."
Following the storm, two children are also missing. This tornado is just the latest in a series of storms that have rocked the South and Midwest leaving devastation in its path. It's likely that historic heat records in the state may have played a role. Officials called the heat a " a gasoline-soaked brush pile" due to its potential for severe storms.
