Reports are a roof collapsed at a truck stop in valley view. Dozens trapped. Danger hit too.

I posted some pics here - https://texashuntingforum.com/forum...here-comes-the-next-dry-line#Post9052445

These were blown over right on I35 close to the station

man, hope all are alright.

I was watching them form up and it looked like I was going to get it again then they shifted north a bit. this week is already looking bad again for up here.

It 's bad all over Ray Roberts, closed all boat ramps , the Marina store is torn down , trailers torn up ,

Interstate is closed from Gainesville to Sanger almost.

How about 51 from Decatur to Gainesville? Is it open?

From what I can tell, yes. Era got hit hard by hail but I don't think the tornado was down until east of Era. I might go look around a little when my family gets up.

I appreciate the info. Headed to Winstar shortly and 51 is the route I take to Gainesville.

At least five dead is the report I got from a local person

35 is open save one spot south of Gainesville where it's diverted. I took 51 south from 35 past the college then north to Lindsay. 51 seems fine.

Prayers up for those folks.

Does anybody know if the Alan Ritchey building got hit?

I
i don't think so - this gas station is just 1 exit to the south on Lone Oak . . .

there is tons of pics and videos if you search VALLEY VIEW TORNADO on Facebook.
Only place I've found sofar with videos posted from people who were in it,
including a woman who rode it out in her car at the intersection,
and from people inside the gas station.

My house/ranch is a half dozen miles to the east of this gas station
- we were puckered up in underground tornado shelter for the first time in 7 years -
it hailed but hopped over us before it touched down again a bit in Pilot Point

The damage extends from Ray Roberts east into Celina, as well. At least 5 dead per the Cooke County sheriff.

I have a couple co-workers that live in Mountain Springs and one owns a lot of land along the east side of 35 near Ray Roberts. Waiting for replies from them. The hail in Era was pretty bad from what I hear.

I'm right here in Mountain Springs - closer to the Johnson Branch LRR entrance. power was out all night till just couple hours ago...

video of woman in car just on the West side of I35 when it hit the Gas Station on the East side, at that same intersection:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf1jlmbMyV0

They're very lucky.

That woman was fairly calm after her initial fit.

I am in town for the weekend visiting my family in Pilot Point. It’s been 45 years since I was last in a tornado at the age of two, however, I remember it vividly. I kept getting the alerts and then checking Weather Bug last night, which showed the storm had already passed us so I was ignoring them. Suddenly, my mother came running in and said we have 2 mins before it hits and I am questioning that per what WeatherBug was reporting. I checked MyRadar and she was right, it was on our doorstep.

This may be one of the only times as a father, I was scared for our lives and felt as though I was helpless. It’s after midnight, with no where to go and not much I can do. You cant’t see a thing and all I can do is go off of memories from years again. I texted my 16 yo son who had stayed home in Midland and told him I loved him and that we were supposed to have impact by a tornado within minutes. My youngest daughter, 10, was hysterical. We emptied my father’s closest, one of the few interior spaces to hunker down in. I had everyone put on shoes, grab their cell phones and the adults to grab their car keys. I threw a mattress over them and my brother and I went around checking windows to see if we could see it coming before we would head for the closet as well. Dumb idea I know. Winds were insane. At one point a gust of wind was felt so strong that it pushed me through the window and then felt like it was trying to suck it back out of the house. Reports I saw were 110 mph+ winds but I can’t confirm that.

What I remember from the prior tornado was we had initially brutal winds, hail etc, and then a complete pause/silence where it seemed like it was over and then the tornado made its presence known just like a freight train coming through the front door. I kept telling my younger brother this as we were watching and waiting, “if it goes quiet, we are in trouble”. Within minutes, it did, nothing was moving. I told him it’s time to go. We hunkered down, waited, waited, waited, MyRadar was showing a 10 min delay on their tracking map so we didn’t know what was happening. Eventually, the radar map updated and it had cleared. We were safe.

Fortunately we had no significant damage at my parents, minor cosmetic stuff to the house and trees down down. Hearing reports of the wreckage and lives lost on the West side of Ray Robert’s is devastating. Travelers just trying to get out of harms way, so sad to hear. I haven’t ventured out in town here in Pilot Point yet, and can only pray it’s not as bad as what the West side of the lake saw.

It’s a simple reminder to be prepared, have a plan, and make the best out of a terrible situation. I hope no one’s loved ones were affected by this and pray for those lives lost.

What an experience, so glad all is well with you and yours. Thanks for sharing.

What an experience, so glad all is well with you and yours. Thanks for sharing.

yeah; I myself have stopped at that same gas station at least a few times while headed home when storms/hail got so heavy couldn't see the road.

There would always be at least a few cars that would try to pull in across the bar-ditch that runs along the front (missing the paved entrance), - and stall out
cause it was so deep in water you couldn't see grass anymore - the water stretched from road to parking lot...
noticed a few like that from all the online pics on this storm... sad but it happens...