Straight Line Winds Damage Highland Terrace Baptist Church, Other Buildings In Greenville

Greenville Church Pastor Credits 'Divine Intervention' For Decision To Cancel Evening Service Before Severe Weather

UPDATE: The National Weather Service determined on Thursday, it was straight line winds, not a tornado, that blew through Wednesday evening.

GREENVILLE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - The Highland Terrace Baptist Church in Greenville suffered extensive damage Wednesday afternoon after a possible tornado came through.

Chopper 11 showed where part of the roof on both sides of the steeple were blown off as well as on other parts of the building.

Two teens who showed up early for their youth group gathering were caught inside one of the buildings.

"The roof of our building literally collapsed right in front of us and started coming down," said Corbin Hudgins. "Water was coming under the door flooding the place."

Once the storm passed, they found much of  their spiritual home in ruins.

"Our church building was just like destroyed. It crumbled in," said Oscar Montibaiz.

Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks told CBS 11 there were no reports of injuries.

In downtown Greenville, Chopper 11 found extensive damage to the Farmers Market and other buildings

The power is out as some power lines collapsed.

"I was trying to leave (work) and I all heard was just the wind blowing so hard," said Leticia Gillispie. "The wind was just so loud that you couldn't hear anything falling. We're all OK, but it still you can still see things flying and our roof you could hear it coming up it was scary." 

CBS 11's Andrea Lucia tweeted some pictures of the damage from the ground.

"We were under the parking garage at the exchange building," said Sherrie White of Greenville."I pulled through there because I heard the storm was coming through and I live in the path of it OK, so we got in there and I could feel my car moving around and I got scared that it was going to pull my car out, so I got out of the car and moved up closer to the building and that's when I guess wind started going back in forth and the rain started coming inside, heavier and the debris started flying and we heard a crash."

Andrea Lucia also tweeted from outside a damaged Whataburger in Greenville, "Strong winds peeled the roof off this @Whataburger in Greenville, but it's still open!"

In:
• Texas
• Tornado Warning