Storms Bring Back Tornado Fears For Garland Residents
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GARLAND (CBSDFW.COM) - Strong winds during Tuesday evening's storms left behind damage in the eastern part of the Metroplex. That includes Garland, where it does not take much wind and rain for tornado survivors to recall the terror that hit the community on the night of December 26.
The damage done on Tuesday is nothing compared to what Garland residents have gone through recently. But a lesser known resource is helping families cope with the damage that cannot be seen -- the stress and trauma brought back by storm and the damage that they create.
Wind gusts were near or above 40 mph at times on Tuesday night.
A gas station in Garland is cleaning up after the canopy collapsed at around 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday night. The structure missed hitting the Texaco convenience store, located near the intersection of Garland Avenue and Buckingham Road, but did create a mess outside. Nobody was hurt.
Officials also had to close down FM 740 between Forney and Seagoville on Tuesday night after a tree fell. Shortly after it came down, a car drove right into it, crushing the front part of the vehicle. The road is now back open. The driver was not injured.
However, even a little bit of bad weather and damage like this can stir up difficult memories for Garland residents. People look at storms differently nowadays, such as the Sigsbee family. Soon after their house was torn apart by a massive tornado back in December, they signed up for free counseling sessions.
"Weather kind of transports you back to that day," admitted tornado survivor Sylvia Sigsbee.
The first priority for storm survivors is often dealing with the tangible effects -- cleaning up the damage and replacing any lost belongings. But the Sigsbee family has found their counseling helpful, even after just three sessions.
Susan Hoff with the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas explained, "Often times, some of these issues, some of the feelings and fears of uncertainty, really don't kick in until several weeks or months after the disaster happens."
Counseling is just one of several disaster relief services offered by the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas -- including financial assistance, relocation and housing help, child care and transportation for storm victims.