'Worst I've seen': Texan recalls devastating tornado

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STORY: “The tornado. In 40 years, this is the worst I've ever seen. It was pretty bad.”

:: Texas homeowner calls tornado that destroyed her property the ‘worst I’ve ever seen’

:: May 23, 2024

:: Officials say the tornado destroyed over 500 buildings, injuring dozens in Temple, Texas

:: Temple, Texas

:: Cindi Watts, Homeowner

“We started hearing the sirens. That's when we, you know, and we had TV, but about the time the sirens went off, we lost all power, and we just had to go with the sirens at that point. And that's what we did. We hid in the closets and waited for the sound to stop. When they say it roars, it roars. It was terrifying.”

“It's changed a lot here. It's up in the air for me now. I don't think my property will ever be the same. I don't know. It's Sad. It's my family home.”

The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado that touched down in Temple on Wednesday (May 22) was an EF-2 tornado with nearly 120 mph winds. The destruction forced Temple Mayor Tim Davis to sign an emergency declaration in order to get state funds for disaster recovery.