KINGSBURY, Texas – Twisted metal, broken branches and debris is littering much of Appling Road in Kingsbury just off of Interstate 10 in Guadalupe County after a severe storm struck the area Monday.
“We have multiple trees down, we have houses damaged, property damaged so we’re just trying to assess and see what we got,” said Patrick Pinder, emergency management coordinator and fire marshal of Guadalupe County.
As of Monday night, the National Weather Service hadn’t confirmed there was a tornado but Pinder said he’s convinced that’s what caused the damage.
“With my experience and seeing some of the damage we’ve had,” Pinder said. “We had a significant storm blow through here, and it’s potential or possibility that the National Weather Service will confirm a tornado.”
The damage was located in pockets just outside of the main area of Kingsbury.
Harry Cox said the debris in the front of his home was once a travel trailer. A tree fell on his house, so he isn’t sure what condition the roof is in.
With significant damage to power lines, people living here are in the dark.
“I’m working on the generator right now, so without power, I don’t know what the fix time will be on that,” Cox said.
Cox was driving home when the storm came through. His 10-year-old daughter, Abby, and his wife took shelter in the bathtub.
“I hear just, it’s just a lot of wind and the knocking,” Abby said. “I run in, my moms running towards me so then we turn around and go to the bathroom and we sit there. I’m panicking, she’s panicking and people are calling us.”
Pieces of Harry’s barn are scattered throughout the area. He said the barn was used mostly for storage.
Abby said her playset, once anchored down behind the house, is now 300 feet away, crumpled in the pasture.
They’re both just thankful everyone is OK.
“People talk about it and you see the devastation on the news and it just doesn’t hit home until you drive up and there it is, and your family is standing outside. That’s all that matters,” Cox said.
Pinder said there’s no reports of injuries, but his office is in for a long night of checking on people and property.
For anyone else with damage from these storms, the Texas Division of Emergency Management is asking you to report it. You can do that by visiting damage.tdem.texas.gov and clicking on March Severe Weather.