Onalaska, Texas located roughly 90 minutes north of Houston, experienced a tempest of fear when storm alerts sounded, as reported by FOX26 Houston. Daren Burkes, an Onalaska resident, described the harrowing experience: "It was crazy man," adding that he witnessed intense winds that he estimated to be "40 to 50 miles an hour."
Memories of devastation were fresh, as back in April of 2020, a deadly EF-3 tornado struck, leaving three dead and over 20 injured – the region's deadliest in over three decades. The National Weather Service confirmed that the tornado had indeed reached peak winds of 140 miles per hour in certain areas, causing catastrophic damage. The emotional weight bore heavily upon the community, as Sydney Murphy, the Polk County Judge, declared, “We are all a really small community and so everybody knows everybody. Even though it may not directly impact you it’s someone’s grandmother or someone’s daughter, father or son. There’s a connection, so that makes it extra hard," Murphy said, holding back tears. “Lives were saved. There is no doubt in my mind. (There were) a number of people who volunteered, called and said, ‘Hey, what do you need’ within 15 minutes ... Everybody responded so quickly that, I know it’s difficult for the families that did lose three loved ones, but at the same time we celebrate for those families that we were able to help or that did not lose members." as per an interview with Click2Houston.
Moreover, the same storm system left a trail of injury and destruction in its wake, with official reports updating that 173 homes were destroyed.
Following the disaster, the American Red Cross stepped in to assist, providing shelter to about 100 displaced residents. Even as the town attempts to pick up the pieces, the concern over a spike in coronavirus infections looms, juxtaposed with the necessity for immediate, unencumbered rescue efforts.
