Efforts in Lindale move from response to recovery after EF2 tornado

Published 7:25 pm Sunday, December 13, 2015

By Staff Reports

Wesley Burke helped get his family, including daughter Trinity, to safety after storm. Photo by Samuel King, KYTX CBS19.

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Samuel King, KYTX CBS19

Officials in Lindale said their efforts have moved from response to recovery after an EF2 tornado moved through parts of the city Saturday afternoon. The tornado left six homes destroyed and another 60 with minor to moderate damage. So far, officials estimate the damage at $1.2 million.“We’re really fortunate this wasn’t nearly as devastating as it could have been, for that we are extremely blessed, but we still have some significant issues,” said Jerry Garner, Lindale Fire Chief.The storm developed too quickly for the National Weather Service to issue a warning, but a sharp-eyed Lindale firefighter spotted the funnel cloud as it formed, around 3:30 p.m. Saturday.“He put out the report to the dispatch; dispatch immediately sounded the outdoor warning sirens,” Garner said.The storm caught many by surprise. Wesley Burke and his family were visiting his in-laws in Lindale and getting ready to head for home.“As soon as I came out, I saw the funnel, I saw the tornado,” Burke said. “Get everyone to the bathroom, that was the first thing.”After the tornado passed, Burke joined many others in the Woodlands subdivision in helping others deal with the storm.“God was really watching out that nobody was hurt in this area right here,” he said.Police restricted access to several streets in the area until Sunday afternoon, in an effort to keep onlookers from getting in the way of recovery efforts.Volunteers with the East Texas Chapter of the American Red Cross spent Sunday assessing damage and reaching out to storm victims. The Red Cross will open a client casework center at Real Edge Realty, 1511 South Main St. in Lindale, beginning at 9 a.m. Monday.