EF-2 tornado rips through Temple, homes destroyed and dozens injured

On Thursday, clean-up continued across Central Texas after destructive storms spawned an EF-2 tornado with winds that reached 120 mph.

The hardest hit was the city of Temple off of Interstate 35 where thousands of customers remained without power nearly 24 hours after a tornado hit the downtown area.

"Nothing like this happens in Temple. It just doesn’t happen that way," John Brascheras said. 

Brascheras grew up in Temple but lives up the road in Moody. He and his wife Pam decided to come into town to run a few errands, however most stores remained closed.

The city of Temple issued a disaster declaration after hundreds of homes and businesses sustained major damage in the storm. The National Weather Service said a tornado that uprooted trees and light poles was rated an EF-2 with winds that reached 120 mph.

The NWS continued with assessments on Thursday.

Pam said she and her husband needed to see the damage themselves. A clear path of destruction can be seen along Adams Street, west of Green Hollow Drive.

However, just off Honeysuckle and Verbena Drive sits what was once a daycare.

"I was trying to imagine the daycare," Pam said. "(What) the employees and kids were going through, 'cause all the kids want is their momma and daddy."

The roof and a wall of the building were ripped off, exposing the children's backpacks that were still hung on the wall.

"Honestly this is the hot spot of Temple," Richard Perez said. "It's just disturbing to the eyes. It's devastating."

Perez lives in Temple with his daughter Evelyn Perez. On Wednesday afternoon, they were on the road when they caught a glimpse of the tornado.

"It sounded like the sirens," Evelyn said. "It was, like, kind of traumatizing. It scared me the whole night."

According to city officials, at least 30 people were injured however, no major injuries were reported.

"There are no casualties as a result of yesterday’s storm. First responders have searched and cleared all structures with any kind of damage, both minor and major," the city said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

Residents are asked to stay off the roads and away from affected areas as contractors prepare to begin debris cleanup.

"Clean-up is estimated to begin early next week, following assessment and mobilization," the city said.