North Texas tornado victims: What we know
COOKE COUNTY, Texas - 7 people were killed and more than 100 were injured after multiple tornadoes touched down in North Texas on Saturday night.
The NWS says 4 total tornadoes touched down in North Texas on Saturday night. The tornado in the Cooke County city of Valley View was upgraded to an EF-3.
All 7 deaths occurred in Cooke County, where the tornado tore through a mobile home park in Valley View.
How to Help the North Texas Tornado Victims: Resources and Support
FOX 4 has compiled a list of resources available for those who were impacted by Saturday's deadly tornado outbreak. There are also several opportunities for people who want to help the victims; whether it's monetarily, through donations or by volunteering.
While the clean-up effort is underway, we are learning more about the victims.
The Cooke County Sheriff confirmed two of the deaths were a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old.
Miranda, Laura and Marco Esparza
A mother and her two children were killed during Saturday night's storm.
49-year-old Laura Esparza and her two children, 15-year-old Miranda and 9-year-old Marco were among the victims.
"I wish that I could give myself for them to be here, but that’s just not how it is," said Marisol Esparza, Laura's 29-year-old daughter.
Marisol says she was texting with Miranda on Saturday night.
"I was texting my sister, I said I was scared, she said she was scared. I said it was going to be okay, nothing’s going to happen — and then we lost signal and I didn’t hear from her again," she recalled. "That was the last time I spoke with her."
Marisol lives across town. She says her parents and three siblings lived in a trailer off Green Meadow Drive, where now you only see a debris field.
"Everything is gone. All of it," she said.
Her father lay on top of the family in a bathroom in an effort to shelter them from the tornado.
"He got on top of them, and he said the next thing he knows, he’s flying," said Marisol.
Her father and 24-year-old brother, while seriously injured, survived. Others did not.
"My sister, my little brother and my mom were underneath a vehicle," Marisol said.
The 29-year-old broke the news to her father in the hospital.
"He said where’s your mom and where are your sister and your brother and I said, Dad, they’re not here anymore, they’re gone," she recalled. "I will forever remember the yell, the screaming I heard from my dad once I told him. The crying."
[REPORTER: "You never heard him cry before?"]
"He doesn’t cry. My dad’s strong, he doesn’t cry," she replied.
Marco would have been a 4th grader at Valley View Elementary and Miranda would have been a 10th grader at Valley View High School.
"My mom took her babies with her," Marisol said.
Marisol, more than a decade older than Marco and Miranda, felt as if she was their protector. So, while there's overwhelming damage to her community it pales in comparison to the pain inside her heart.
"They were my babies. They were my everything. We always said that if something happened to our parents that I would take care of them," she said.
Victor Ortiz
72-year-old Victor Manuel Ortiz did not live in Valley View, but rather was there staying with his son for an extended visit when the tornado hit.
Edgar Ortiz says his grandfather was visiting from Mexico.
"It was heartbreaking when it happened," he said. "And I don’t think I’ll ever recover fully."
Victor and his wife were staying at their son’s mobile home in Valley View. The three were asleep when the storm woke them up.
Edgar says they made it to the living room but didn’t have time to shelter in the bathroom. The tornado had already lifted the home off the ground and flung it to the side.
"After that, it kind of went dark, and they were waking up in the rubble," he said.
Edgar’s dad has two broken ribs and a broken arm. His grandmother has an ankle injury and some bruising. And his grandfather didn’t survive.
"Seeing everybody react to the death of him, it was very heartbreaking," he said.
Edgar says his grandfather was a man who was always happy and treasured his family. He says his death is a stark reminder that you never know when time will run out.
"It’s a tragic moment, and I’m sure many families feel the same way," he said. "But if everybody could just take a second and tell their loved ones how much they mean to them, I’m sure they’d appreciate it."
Victor and his wife would have celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary in October.
Edgar says the family’s focus is on his grandmother, who has since been released from the hospital. He says she was heartbroken when she found out.
Loyd Wayne Watson
The Cooke County Sheriff's Office confirmed that 57-year-old Loyd Wayne Watson was one of the tornado victims.
Wayne’s two sons, Kevin and Keith Watson, had serious injuries with the tornado ripped through their mobile home neighborhood in Valley View.
Kevin is still in critical care at Medical City Hospital in Denton. His brother’s injuries were much less severe and is recovering much quicker at a different hospital.
Christine Watson has been driving back and forth between her two sons all while grieving the loss of her husband.
"We’re hanging in there day by day," she said. It’s been very tough. But again, one day at a time. At points, it’s been one minute at a time."
Christine says Wayne and their two sons were inside their mobile home when an EF-3 tornado decimated parts of the town.
"Keith said that they got an alert on the tv that we were under a tornado warning, and then they got one alert on their phone," Christine said. "And a minute later, the house was being picked up and physically thrown."
The house landed 50 yards away on top of the three of them.
Loyd Wane Watson
Keith and Kevin were found alive in the rubble and taken to the hospital. Wayne didn’t survive.
"After seeing the destruction at the property, the fact that either of my sons are alive is truly a miracle," Christine said.
Keith has a cracked sternum and injuries to both his legs. Kevin’s are much more severe.
"His brother is still in critical care," Christine said. "His injuries were a broken neck at C3 and… I’m going to try to get through this without crying."
Kevin Watson
It takes a while for Christine to get through the full list. Kevin’s had six surgeries in five days. The most serious injuries are his broken neck and internal bleeding.
"He’s 23 and it’s completely devastating and overwhelming for our family," she said.
Meanwhile, the family is grieving Wayne’s death as well.
"He worked very hard," Christine said. "He was a very dedicated and loving and very good father."
The Watson family doesn’t have anything to go home to, but they say the outpouring of love from the community is what’s kept them going.
"Every little bit is truly a blessing," Christine said. "It’s the generosity of people that is literally seeing us through right now."
Kevin is in a medically induced coma and will have to undergo more surgeries.
Keith needs a walker to get around and will need physical therapy.
Essence and Tyrique McCrary
Family members confirmed to FOX 4 that 2-year-old Essence McCrary and 5-year-old Tyrique McCrary are among the victims killed in the Valley View tornado. The two children were found early Sunday morning.