Texas Tornado: Residents Dig Through Debris Looking For Loved Ones

The small town of Perryton, Texas, is one of many southern US communities hit hard by severe weather. Three people were killed and dozens more injured.

The smell of natural gas surrounded residents as they used their hands to dig through the debris, looking for loved ones and salvaging what they could from the destruction.

The tornado took a direct shot to the town, leaving 3 people dead and dozens injured, according to the Booker Fire Department, one of the first crews on scene. Two people are still missing as of Thursday evening.

Small wounds, cuts, lacerations and a few major head injuries were among the injuries of the 115 patients treated at Ochiltree General Hospital, according to Amie Marrufo, the hospital’s spokeswoman.

“We’ve been very, very thankful for our local counties and hospitals for coming to our aid,” she said. “We’ve been blessed for a lot of good help. Luckily, this small town comes together when we need to.”

Governor Greg Abbott also directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy state emergency response resources to meet the town’s “urgent life-safety needs.”