Red Cross El Paso Provides Tornado Relief

It’s been days since the last funnel cloud was spotted in the skies above Dallas. Now those affected are trying to deal with what’s being likened to a war zone.

“When it does hit me, I do cry because I’m dealing with the fact that I lost everything. Everything,” tornado victim Lillian Williams said.

A group of volunteers from the Red Cross of El Paso are trying to help. A group of four arrived in the affected area on Saturday night. They said they’ll be there to help for about two to three more weeks.

“We try to get their needs met by either giving them food, shelter, clothing or even just making sure we get them the right resources so they can get back to normality as quickly as possible,” Disaster Response Manager Freddy Martinez told ABC-7.

Volunteers from El Paso are among the many trying to help these people put their lives back together.

An American Red Cross spokeswoman said nearly 200 homes were destroyed and around 650 were damaged by the violent tornadoes that tore through the area on Tuesday.

Martinez said he’s been out to 23 different disasters to help, and this is the worst disaster he’s ever seen.

“Lumber everywhere; debris. You’re finding stuff from people’s garages, backyards or businesses 30, 50, or even 100 miles away,” Martinez said of the scene in the Dallas area.

Martinez said at the end of the day, the feeling of lending a helping hand is indescribable.

“We want to make sure that they’re okay, and they’re just very thankful. They tell us ‘We’ll never forget El Paso,'” Martinez said.

The Red Cross volunteers said they depend heavily on donations to help in these critical times. If you’d like to make a donation, head over to www.redcrosselpaso.org.