Round Rock, Texas — A tornado hit Round Rock on Monday evening, leaving behind debris and damaged homes. Darwin Tanksley was assessing the damage and picking up fallen branches on Tuesday.
His family is safe, but fixing his home is going to cost him.
“We’re probably every bit of $60,000, $70,000,” he said.
Tanksley is cleaning up the yard with help from his family and the community. His daughter Shelby Tanksley is having a hard time taking it all in.
“It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “You know I… It’s just difficult because these are the streets I used to play on outside with my friends and now it’s just kind of gone, I guess, you know?”
Some nearby homes are totally destroyed. But Tanksley hopes to move back into his home within three months. He’ll stay with family in the meantime.
Despite all the damage, Tanksley is staying positive.
“We’re living and we’re breathing,” he said. “I can feel the breeze today. I can feel the sunshine on my face. So we’re gonna work together, and we’re going to rebuild.”
This is the beginning of a long journey for the Tanksley family, but they have faith in the future.
“At the end of the day, family is everything,” Tanksley said. “All these material things, the vehicles, the houses, they’re just stuff. But my wife and my kids… they’re eternal. They’re forever. And so I thank the supreme architect of the universe for protecting us.”