Tornado rips through tiny Texas town obliterating Border Patrol agent’s home and throwing him 200ft
Another tornado touched down Texas Sunday, this time in the small town of Sanderson, where a Border Patrol agent was among those injured when he was thrown 200 feet as winds whipped through his home.
US Border Patrol agent Edgar Barraza, 38, remains in intensive care Monday with broken bones, internal bleeding and facial fractures, department sources told DailyMail.com exclusively.
The rookie officer had just finished his day shift on Sunday and was returning to the mobile home he shared with two other officers who work in the remote border area where housing is scarce.
When the storm moved into Sanderson, home to just under 800 residents, several buildings were destroyed, including Barraza’s home.
He and four other Border Patrol agents are now left without a roof over their heads, sources confirmed.
A tornado destroyed U.S. Border Patrol Agent Edgar Barraza’s home, which he shared with two colleagues, Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland said. The officer was thrown 60 meters by strong winds
The tornado was spotted by Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland around 7:30 p.m. and caught many residents off guard.
“We were looking at the storm that was going to be to the north of us, and then the track started to change,” Cleveland told DailyMail.com.
“We started seeing a distinct funnel cloud, so I immediately posted it and told people to take cover.”
In a desert town where rain rarely falls, many residents seemed to have trouble believing that a tornado was actually happening.
In a video shared by the sheriff, howling wind and rain show a police car as a deputy drives through town pleading with those left behind to take shelter.
“Take cover, take cover, hey, take cover,” the deputy shouts before sounding his sirens.
A tornado was not expected in Sanderson, the local sheriff said
The storm changed direction and was spotted around 7:30 pm Sunday as the small community of fewer than 800 residents approached.
About ten homes in the remote community were damaged, some destroyed
Five Border Patrol agents stationed in the city are left homeless after the storm
About ten houses were damaged and a dozen people were injured.
One woman was flown to El Paso, and a second Border Patrol agent had glass blown into his eyes.
As night fell, neighboring provinces sent help to begin cleanup efforts.
“People started bringing water in as far away as Reeves County, so a great response to our little community,” the sheriff added.
The Border Patrol is also sending agents to assist.
The Border Patrol station in Sanderson was unaffected by the storm and will likely no longer provide shelter for the officers left homeless.
