Howe Residents Face Huge Losses After Possible Tornado
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HOWE (CBSDFW.COM) - Residents in Grayson County are trying to figure out how to rebuild after possible tornadoes hit their homes late Tuesday night. The National Weather Service will survey three sites on Wednesday, including the community of Howe, to determine the scale of the damage.
First responders and utility companies have been working Wednesday to clear large trees and restore power lines, including a number of which that were wrapped in metal and insulation.
"We have several houses that have damage," Chief Carl Hudman of the Howe Police Department stated early Wednesday. "We have a metal storage building company on the east side that was hit and destroyed."
Meanwhile, dozens of families are taking stock of whatever still remains from their property. The losses for these homeowners will be extensive. More than a dozen homes were badly damaged by powerful winds.
Terri Calhoun is one of those many residents who are now dealing with the storm's aftermath. She and her husband have lived in Grayson County for 25 years. They were in bed on Tuesday night when the possible tornado rolled in. She has never been in a tornado before, but Calhoun does not know what else could have caused so much destruction.
"Sounded like a roar or something. It woke my husband up too. I don't know, it just hit real loud," Calhoun said. Her husband grabbed her and the couple huddled together. "It was like a suction or something."
Maria Tapia and her two sons were sheltering in a bathroom when their house collapsed on top of them. The family lost their farm on Tuesday night. Tapia suffered a back injury during the storm, but is already out of the hospital and doing okay. And a litter of puppies in the family's barn survived.
Howe is located about 25 miles north of McKinney. At least four other people in Grayson County were hurt. A shelter has been set up at the Church of Christ in Howe to assist those residents who have been displaced.