A tornado touched down in Seadrift in the early morning hours Thursday.
The main pathway and damages from the tornado were on the north to northwest side of Seadrift between West Oakland and Nelson, according to Sergeant Roberto Montero of the Seadrift Police Department.
Montero’s home was in the pathway of the tornado, he said he woke up about 1:45 a.m. to his house shaking.
“I woke up from a dream that I was in an earthquake at about 1:45 a.m., and my house was just rattling. Then there was a lull and then it started back up,” Montero said.
When the havoc stopped, he and Lieutenant Louis Warren started checking house to house in the vicinity of the tornado’s pathway to make sure nobody was injured or killed.
As of 10:52 a.m. no deaths or injuries had been reported.
Seadrift’s Mayor Elmer DeForest has declared a local state of emergency and disaster.
The mayor said he does not know if there was one tornado or multiple, or how strong they were.
According to DeForest, roughly 15 to 20 structures were damaged, and on preliminary assessments at least six were destroyed.
To go along with the structures, water lines were broken from trees and power poles being uprooted and power is out in certain parts of the city with AEP currently working to restore service.
A water boil has been in effect since 5 a.m. due to the water treatment plant losing pressure, but is now up and running. The water boil will be lifted once the city gets the clearance from Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
According to DeForest, nearly seven months post Hurricane Harvey, the city of Seadrift and its citizens are hurting once again.
Although Harvey and the tornado caused significant damage, DeForest said Harvey has taught the city and its workers how to respond more efficiently.
“We are able to respond faster. Based off Harvey we know what to do no more quickly,” DeForest said.
The Red Cross has set up at the Civic Center and is working to provide relief for those affected.
Texas Department of Public Safety, Seadrift Police Department, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Victoria’ Office of Emergency Management and Red Cross responded to the disaster.
by Ross Stapp
March 29,2018
