JOHNSON COUNTY, Texas — The Barnes and Zelenys families have long roads ahead of them, as they begin to pick up the pieces literally and figuratively from an EF-2 tornado that touched down in Johnson County.
"I seen [sic] the trees spinning in the front yard," said Stephen Barnes.
Residents felt the brunt of the tornado Monday, as winds clocked up to 112 miles an hour, according to the National Weather Service. Thankfully, there were no reported fatalities from the incident.
"I had made it four steps and something had hit me," said Brittaney Deaton.
Brittaney was in a RV, in the front yard of the home near Egan, when the tornado tore through overnight. Her stepfather, Shawn Zeleny, rushed out to get her.
The RV was picked up by the tornado and it rolled over them, said Zeleny's wife Amber.
"At least four to five times and ended up on its wheels," said Amber.
Both Deaton and Zeleny were slammed to the ground. Zeleny sustained a shattered hip, broken ribs, broken nose and a severed ear.
"I feel like it's my fault because he was coming out to save me," said Deaton.
Water was turned back on and power was restored by midday Tuesday.
Amber and Barnes are both happy to have their families.
"They're here. Everything else can be fixed and everything else can be replaced," said Amber.
These families will decide next steps once the gravity of this tornado hits them.
"I'm sure it will in the next couple of days or when you look out the front door," said Barnes.
The family of Zeleny told WFAA that he had surgery Tuesday and is scheduled for rehabilitation--which will take several months.
However, Amber Zeleny told WFAA that her husband is hoping to make his step-daughter's high school graduation in May.
"Whether we wheel him in or he walks in, we want to make sure that he's there," Amber said. "She loves him so much. Seeing them both in the hospital last night, joking around gave me so much life."
The Zelenys have set up a GoFundMe to pay for medical bills.