Two women recorded a video late Saturday night as a tornado crossed the road they were driving near Valley View, Texas. Despite the twister going on to kill several people, the pair survived the harrowing ordeal. Valenia Gill and Brenda Proctor Dance had just left a singer/songwriter show and had been posting on social media all night. Wind screamed across the car they were in, blowing rain sideways, with hail pelting the car. Chunks of debris were seen flying past the headlights, causing the women to panic.
As the tornado rocked the car violently, the video shifted wildly in different directions as the women were jolted. The sound of the wind picked up, sounding more like a jet engine, and debris flew past the vehicle. Power flashes lit up the roadway as the wind disassembled power poles. The women were clearly terrified, with Gill exclaiming that the tornado had her car and that they were still shaking and their ears were popping. Despite the wind calming down slightly, they were still shaking and feeling overwhelmed.
Sirens or emergency vehicles could be heard in the background as a car pulled around them, revealing a power line down across the street in the headlights. Hours later, Dance posted on social media that they had made it back, feeling like she had a pressure headache. Gill posted that it was her first tornado experience. Dance then set up a Go-Fund-Me to help Gill with car repairs since she was disabled and only had minimal liability insurance due to being on a fixed income.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reported that a long-track supercell traveled about 50 miles, spawning tornadoes and forcing him to declare emergencies in four counties. Seven people, including two children, died as a result of the tornado. The National Weather Service gave the tornado a preliminary EF-2 rating with winds up to 135 mph. The video captured by the women showed the intensity and fear experienced during the tornado, highlighting the destructive power of such natural disasters and the importance of being prepared and staying safe during severe weather events.
