A family in Montgomery County is piecing their lives back together after a fierce EF-3 tornado left a mother critically injured and trapped beneath the debris of her home. The tornado, which struck on Saturday, devastated many homes including that of the Martinez family. Juan Martinez, who witnessed the tornado bearing down on their mobile home, described the harrowing moment to Click2Houston saying, "I opened the window and saw the tornado coming straight at us." His wife, Blanca, was pinned under the collapsed structure and is currently in the ICU with severe injuries.
Meanwhile, in Porter Heights, another family recounted their terror as the tornado tore their home apart. In an interview with KHOU, Matthew Weaver said, "the roof just flies off. It was kind of terrifying and a little traumatized still." Both he and his mother survived, but now face a daunting cleanup along with many other residents in the area. Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough emphasized the need for self-reporting of damages to facilitate federal aid for the region's recovery. "There were 302 homes in that area that were damaged, homes." Keough said.
Relief efforts are moving forward as the community grapples with the destruction left in the wake of nearly 150 mph winds. Both families, like many others, did not have home insurance to cover the damage. The Martinez family in particular is focusing on the recovery of their matriarch, while local officials urge affected individuals to tap into available resources for aid. "She has two broken legs, fractures in her front and back, and a fractured neck and spine," Stephanie Martinez told Click2Houston regarding her mother's condition.
Power restoration has been a priority as well, with outages significantly reduced from approximately 8,000 to 500 by Monday night. As families like Weaver's and the Martinez's face the aftermath, support pours in from neighbors and the community at large. "My neighbors, they walked over, looked through and said ‘Oh my God you’re alive. Sorry, it’s pretty traumatic," Weaver recounted to KHOU.
