A 2015 synopsis: May

Tornado hits Van

An EF-3 tornado ravaged most of the northeastern part of Van during the late evening May 10. Van Zandt County Fire Marshal and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Chuck Allen said that the tornado started about six miles north of Edom.

“The tornado was approximately 700 yards wide and traveled 9.9 miles on the ground before ending one mile southeast of the small community of Pruitt,” Allen said.

“All arteries to the city are now open; traffic flow is improved but some areas still have limited access and will be allowed in with ID only,” added Allen. 

Van Independent School District received damage to multiple properties, including the administration building, intermediate and elementary schools and transportation facility.

Debris from homes littered the streets and accumulated in ditches and empty lots, branches from uprooted trees amassed into a tangle and lay heaped into piles and electricity lines and poles splintered the landscape for miles around Van.

More than 200 buildings were destroyed, leaving 550 residents of Van without power and some without a home. There were 220 homes affected with 90 homes being destroyed and the remaining had minor to major damage. 

There were 125 businesses had minor damage; 80 had major damage- all salvageable.

The damage of the tornado is estimated to be approximately $40 million. 

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