Eight homes in Celina suffered significant damage from storms that swept through Denton and Collin counties overnight on Saturday. Some homes were completely leveled, and in one instance, a trailer was lifted and dropped onto a roof.
Tornadoes can be capricious, destroying one thing while leaving something nearby untouched. Unfortunately, this tornado chose to unleash its full force on eight homes on Prairie Meadow Lane in Celina.
After the storm passed, residents rushed outside, except from one home.
“They weren’t outside, so they had to be somewhere,” said Damon Norman, a volunteer.
Beneath a pile of rubble were a mom, dad, and two kids trapped in the pantry where they had taken shelter just before the tornado hit.
“The neighbors all gathered and dug them out,” said Norman.
The neighbors dug them out? Well, there’s something special about Prairie Meadow Lane.
“When this neighborhood was being developed, they called it ‘firefighter row,'” said Dustin Allen, a firefighter.
Of the eight homes significantly damaged, NBC 5 learned that five belong to firefighters.
“They’re all firefighters, all firefighters here in Frisco. They all chose to come and live next to each other, creating their own little community out here. Most of our guys usually respond to these emergencies; now they are the emergency, and we’re responding to help them.”
Hands were everywhere, trying to save and secure belongings, and the firefighters were trying to comprehend how their coworkers survived. They supported one another with snacks and smiles, and now face the long road to recovery.
“They’re upset, shocked, but we’re moving forward,” said Allen.
After all, helping is what they do for a living. While no one knows why the storm targeted this street, they are confident it will recover.
The Frisco Firefighters Association is accepting donations to help the affected families. You can contribute here.
