Search For Tornado Victims in East Texas Over, Focus On Recovery
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CANTON (CBS11) - As Pablo Duran, Jr. searched through what's left of his house in Canton, he couldn't help but think of his father fighting for his life.
"All I can do is have faith and hope for the best to come out. I know he will do his best and give us 100 percent to be with us," he said.
Duran's father is on life support. His lungs are punctured and his ribs are broken.
Duran Jr. says he, his father, and other relatives were holed up in their home's shower, as one of the tornadoes to hit East Texas barreled through along county road 2511.
Duran Jr. is still in a state of disbelief. "A matter of minutes it just happened and then it went away. I don't want anyone to go through it the way we did."
On Monday, the National Weather Service announced that one of the EF-3 tornadoes was actually stronger, a EF-4, a category with winds close to a maximum of 200 miles per hour.
Van Zandt County announced the names of four people who died during Saturday's storms: 51 year old Russell "Rusty" Barlow of Corsicana, 57 year old Kenneth Hughes of Canton, 39-year-old James Young of Alva and 49-year-old Lucretia Sykes of Fort Worth.
Crews completed their final search for potential victims Monday without finding anyone new.
Van Zandt County leaders are asking people to donate money and nothing else.
A Relief Fund/Donation Account has been established by Van Zandt County to assist victims of the tornados with recovery.
Those wishing to assist monetarily should make donations to the following account:
First State Bank of Ben Wheeler, Canton Texas Branch Name of Account: Van Zandt County Tornado Relief Fund Account Number: 4413270
There's no place to store water, clothing or furniture.
The money will go toward helping victims displaced by the storm and those like Duran who don't have insurance on their homes.
