IRVING, Texas – Students and families displaced by Tuesday’s tornado in Irving are receiving some much-needed assistance as the cleanup and recovery continue.
The backstory:
The National Weather Service confirmed that it was an EF-1 tornado that caused major damage in parts of the city of Irving.
Dozens of people were displaced after the tornado struck the Tree Country Apartments in the area of West Pioneer and North O’Connor.
De Zavala Middle School across the street and the Irving Family Advocacy Center one block over were both also heavily damaged.
About 85 families living at the apartment complex have been displaced and forced to start from scratch.
Several nonprofits have stepped up to help.
Confirmed EF-1 tornado in Irving
A brief EF-1 tornado was part of the storm that heavily damaged apartment buildings and businesses. It brought down several power lines and trees.
Local perspective:
Telma Rodriguez has lived at the apartments with her husband since 1990. She was allowed back inside the fenced-in perimeter to try and salvage any personal belongings she could find.
The couple’s future is uncertain. Rodriguez says she has to find a new place to live.
And she’s not alone.
At the Irving Schools Foundation, a nonprofit run by Irving ISD, staff members from several schools stopped by to collect food and supplies for students whose families were affected by the tornado.
Many of the students lived at the same apartment complex where Rodriguez lived.
It’s across the street from de Zavala Middle School.
Principal Tiffany Williams says approximately 85 families were affected. Their needs vary.
“It’s very fluid right now because our families are still trying to figure out what they have and what they don’t have,” she said. “Right now, they’re just in need of basic supplies.”
Irving Schools Foundation President Crystal Scanio says Amazon sent extra pallets of items this week.
“With the tornadoes, our friends and partners really stepped in to provide everything our children need to make sure they feel comfortable and despite the act of God that happened to them they feel safe and taken care of,” she said.
And while those items are dispersed.
Back near the apartment complex, crews are working to replace utility poles snapped in half by the tornado.
People were also busy across the street at the Family Advocacy Center, clearing out files from the damaged building.
What’s next:
With Spring Break next week, the foundation is providing students with a double supply of food to help hold them over while classes are out.
What you can do:
The nonprofit says Amazon is supplying plenty of basic supplies for the affected families. Anyone who would like to help can make monetary donations or become a volunteer.
LINK: Irving Schools Foundation
The Source: Information in this article comes from interviews conducted by FOX 4 Reporter Alex Boyer and previous news coverage.