A storm flipped over an RV in Sanger, Denton County, on Sunday, killing one person, according to staff of Sanger/Denton North KOA at McClain’s Longhorn RV.
The woman was rushed to Denton Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday with severe injuries. Her dog was also trapped inside the RV when it flipped over.
“If she felt anything like I felt, she had to have been terrified when it went over,” said Jacquie Putnam, the RV park’s manager.
Several RVs were reported damaged at Sanger/Denton North KOA at McClain’s Longhorn RV on Sunday night. At least five houses were flipped over.
“We could feel us starting to rock, then hail started to hit and then you couldn’t even see out of the window,” Putnam told me.
Trees were uprooted, and the power went out, leaving homes in the dark. Neighbors reported that they were fighting just to get through the night, huddled up and listening to their RVs tremble in the wind. Denton Coutny reported hail up to two inches in diameter and wind gusts as high as 65 mph.
Roofs and windows were damaged, trees fell across streets and communities, and there were many power outages. Utility staff worked through the evening to restore service.
One neighbor told CBS News Texas that they now want to install anchor holes in the concrete so that their RV may be held down during severe storms like the one on Sunday.
There were no other reported injuries.
Residents described a chaotic storm
Clint Fry was startled by the chaos of Sunday night’s storm. Fry described how powerful winds flipped his camper, telling CBS News Texas that he’d never experienced a storm like this at the location.
“The wind got real hard, and it started hailing and the camper felt like it started inching back,” Fry told me. “It smacked me on the back of the head, and I rolled a few times before flipping. I believe it flipped three times with me in it and just… I closed my eyes and went on a ride; I got severely battered up.”
Fry has a gash at the back of his skull. On Monday, he and his wife were cleaning up what remained of their home.
“It looks like it went through a blender,” he told me.
Crews and citizens worked together throughout the day to pick up storm debris. And just steps away from Fry, an RV belonging to the deceased woman.
“A couple of people who live on the property were able to get to her camper and hold her hand; they said she had very shallow respiration when she left here,” said Jacquie Putnam, the RV park manager.
The woman was in her late 70s and lived with her dog, who became trapped inside the RV when it overturned.
“If she felt anything like I did, she must have been scared when it was finished. “I can’t imagine what it would be like,” Putnam added. “It just, my heart hurts.”
Officials with the city of Sanger said they responded to 35 emergency calls linked to the storm, including building collapses and trapped persons. A city official stated that at least 11 other agencies assisted throughout the storm.
Fry is grateful for his life and wishes to thank his neighbors for their assistance in picking up the pieces.
“Man, my faith in humanity has been restored.” I believe there are a lot of nice individuals out there. “I am grateful for that,” Fry added.
Severe storms cause damage in Denton County
Severe storms caused substantial damage in Denton County on Sunday, including a 45- to 50-foot hole in the roof of the Walmart Distribution Center in Sanger.
Officials said no injuries were reported at the distribution center, and all employees were sent home.
According to Denton County, the initial reports of a tornado rotation came in shortly before 5:30 p.m., followed by the first reports of damage minutes later.
According to preliminary assessments from the National Weather Service, the damage Sunday night was caused by straight-line winds, which are thunderstorm winds with no rotation, i.e., not tornadoes.
