More than 280 East Texas Homes Damaged, Destroyed in Storms

EAST TEXAS (AP/Staff) – More than 280 homes in East Texas were damaged or destroyed during last weekend’s tornadoes and deadly flooding. Teams from the American Red Cross on Tuesday assisted with recovery in Anderson, Cherokee, Harrison, Lamar, Smith, Upshur and Wood counties. Red Cross spokeswomen Anita Foster and Tammy Prater say 106 homes were left uninhabitable from the storms. They say another 175 homes sustained minor damage such as windows broken, shingles torn off or fences knocked down. Forecasters say more than 7 inches of rain fell in less than an hour Friday night in East Texas. Six people died in flash flooding in Palestine.

Here’s a more complete rundown of Red Cross activity:

Activities:

Sheltering: First Methodist Church, 402 W. Hubbard Street, Lindale, closed Tuesday at noon
Service Centers: Bulk supplies, casework and recovery services, snacks and lunch – Open Tuesday and Wednesday

Locations:

Summit Heights Fellowship, 2340 S. FM 2869, Hawkins
First United Methodist Church, 402 W. Hubbard St., Lindale
Hours: 10 am – 3 pm

Bulk Distribution: Will continue at the service centers above but volunteers will still be heading out into communities, focusing on other affected counties

Client Outreach: Volunteers are meeting with families affected by storms in Anderson, Cherokee, Harrison, and Upshur Counties

According to a Red Cross statement, “Friday night’s storms were wide spread and covered many rural communities. While we are making every effort to reach out to those affected, we realize we may not know yet where all storm victims are. We encourage everyone affected by last night’s storms to contact us at 866-505-4801.”