Stories of survival after deadly Texas tornadoes
VAN, Texas -- The last three people who had been listed as missing were accounted for late Monday, a day after severe weather tore through a broad section of the central U.S., leaving at least five people dead in Texas and Arkansas.
In Lake City, Iowa, a tornado tore the roof off a school during a graduation ceremony Sunday. Flash floods in north Texas led to dramatic rescues, including a pregnant woman and a baby who were airlifted from their homes.
Little is left of the town of Van, where an EF-3 tornado with 140-mile-an-hour winds damaged or destroyed as many as 100 homes and two schools.
At least two people were killed in one neighborhood. Seconds after the sirens sounded, Amy Parish and her family scrambled for cover.
"We just went into my son's closet and put pillows over our head and... just basically prayed," Parish said.
Across the street, Ken and Donna Strom also hid in their closet -- but were trapped by all the debris.
Donna said she realized her home had been ripped apart "when we looked up and could see the sky."
Eighteen-year-old Freddy Arce heard the Stroms screaming and ran across the street.
"I started just punching, kicking, trying to break through the sheet rock," Arce said. "We got it open to where they could walk out and whatnot. They were out fine, without a scratch."
Parish spent Monday picking up what was left of her home. She found a treasured picture of her son, her wedding ring -- and gratitude.
"We walked away with no scratches other than just dirt and debris in our hair," Parish said. "So just lucky to be alive."
She was lucky to be alive -- and determined to rebuild.
The Red Cross was housing families with no where else to go. Additional crews have been called in to help restore the power here.