TEXAS CITY, Texas – The storm blew through Texas City around 6 p.m on Wednesday night and left a trail of damage behind.
Strong winds ripped the sides off of a convenience store and displaced around 400 residents at a nearby apartment complex according to Texas City officials.
Margaret Bjerke is a resident at the Trade Winds Apartment Complex and said she was still waiting for her power to be restored on Thursday morning. She said the storm was quick and horrifying.
“It was the most terrifying minutes that you would ever believe,” Bjerke said.
Michael Vineyard said that he and his family took shelter inside of the apartment when the wind started to pick up.
A convenience store in Texas City was demolished and residents at a nearby apartment complex are now displaced after storms moved through the area last night. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/VM9yB3QRS7
— Brittany Jeffers (@KPRC2BrittanyJ) January 7, 2021
“It sounded like a freight train coming thru and by the time I tried to get the door shut, it was sucking me out the door,” Vineyard said. “My son had to grab me and pull me back in and stuff was flying, glass shattering and people were screaming.”
Officials with TNMO said as many as 3,100 customers were without power on Wednesday night along 13th Avenue and Palmer Highway from 21st Street to 15th Street.
Nearby Calvin Vincent Early Childhood and Kohfeldt Elementary canceled classes on Thursday.
Blocker Middle School, Texas City High School and Industrial Trade Center delayed classes until 9 a.m. on Thursday morning.
The National Weather Service of Houston declared the damage was caused by an EF-1 tornado.
