Deadly Matador tornado devastates tiny Texas town

MATADOR, Texas - Another rural Texas town is trying to pick up the pieces after a deadly tornado.

The twister that dropped down on Matador, northeast of Lubbock, killed four people. Nearly a dozen were hurt bad enough to be hospitalized.

The tornado’s devastation is stretching resources as the state is already responding to a Texas Panhandle tornado a week ago.

The Wednesday evening tornado was produced by a line of storms that rumbled across the Rolling Plains.

So far, the National Weather Service has not rated the strength of the storm, but people who’ve seen the damage say it’s pretty bad.

"I looked to my right and about 200 feet off to my right was a tornado, and I could see the debris and stuff flying," Teary Blasingame recalled.

FOX 4 Storm Chaser Michael Beard was on the ground in Matador minutes after the deadly twister that killed four people and hospitalized nine others.

The storm chasers joined first responders’ search and rescue efforts.

"It's one of those things you know as soon as you pull up, it's not gonna be good," Beard said. "There were semis blown over. There were houses completely leveled, and there was debris everywhere. About half the town is, better or less to say, flattened." 

The nighttime tornado hit one week to the day of another rural community. Perryton, which is just a few hours drive from Matador, was hit by a tornado that killed three and hurt more than 100.

READ MORE: Texas tornado destroys town, 3 dead, dozens injured as search efforts extend into night

Volunteers and first responders from North Texas are on the ground there helping. Some were on their way home from helping another tornado-ravaged town when they got the call that another town needed help.

"Several of us were up there and now we're back here," said David Chilcutt, who is retired from Haltom City fire.

He’s now a leader at Texas Task Force 2 and one of several who helped in Perryton, and then left North Texas for matador late Wednesday night.

"So we got here this morning, it was still dark. I believe it's about 4 a.m. when some of the first rolled in, and first thing the locals did a very good job of doing primary searches and even some really good secondary searches and treating the injured and all," Chilcutt said.

The two tornadoes aren’t the only weather disasters that crews and volunteers are responding to.

"Four deployments at one time, especially within Texas, that’s a lot," said John Hall, with Texas Baptist Men.

Texas Baptist men has disaster relief resources helping with storm damage in East Texas, as well as the Houston area.

One crew that was heading back to Dallas from Perryton Wednesday night with a giant generator diverted that equipment to Matador.

"We had a generator that was in Perryton and was on its way back to Dallas and we re-routed it back to Matador," Hall said. "So we have a generator, plus we have two units that are headed that way, a shower laundry unit, as well as a box unit to begin meeting immediate needs."

The organization said it’s always looking for volunteers.

"The garage behind us means two things: 1 - there’s a lot of folks who are hurting. 2 - there’s a lot of folks and our friends and neighbors are stepping up to meet those needs, and so it’s very mixed emotions as I look at the empty garage behind me," Hall added.

Gov. Gregg Abbott expanded an emergency disaster declaration to Motley County.

The town of 800 established in 1891 was named after the sprawling Matador Ranch. Its economy is driven by produce, cattle and quarter horses. 

"A town of this size with such a small population with the amount of damage that they've experienced; it’s not only physical damage, but the economical and emotional impact that it will have on this town is very well significant," said Derek Delgado with Lubbock Fire Rescue.

In addition to the power generator TBM is assessing how else they can help.

Officials in Matador said they've got plenty of water bottles, but power is still out, and it could be as late as Sunday until its restored to some areas.