JACKSBORO, Texas — Two days after an EF3 tornado with 150 mph winds tore through Jacksboro, repairs and cleanup are far ahead of schedule, according to city and county officials.
The storm destroyed 80 homes and injured nine people, but no one was killed.
City officials said in a briefing Wednesday they expected power to be fully restored by the evening, but noted they had issues with downed lines causing a grassfire and smoke in a home, and urged residents to stay cautious.
Kim Veselka was at work when the tornado came through, but her husband was under a mattress at their home that’s now missing a roof and its back half.
“There’s a barn in the back and then my house is there - or was,” she said. “You don’t even know what to start and what to do.”
A couple blocks away the Jacksboro elementary and middle schools, the tornado ripped off gymnasium roofs and caved in walls. Crews are working to clean up debris and repair what they can.
“I was here when this building went up and to see it come down in such a catastrophic fashion is – it’s heartbreaking,” Superintendent Brad Burnett said.
Burnett said he’s still in disbelief, shocked at what happened and shocked everyone survived.
“We can replace these buildings. We can’t replace the students’ lives,” he said. "I’m grateful for my staff. My elementary school principal I believe is a hero. I think he and his staff’s action saved lives when that tornado hit, and I’m just so grateful for them. I’d ask our parents in the community and our students for patience. We’ll get back to normal as soon as possible.”
Elementary students will learn in nearby churches for at least three weeks as repairs continue, but high schoolers will return as soon as Monday or Tuesday.
“So that our students can get back into a routine, see their friends, see their teachers, experience some type of normalcy,” Burnett said.
Ripped sheet metal, flipped cars and broken branches are everywhere in Jacksboro, but so are the signs of recovery.
“Now we’re trying to just get whatever, and then just start over,” Veselka said.