Survivors are overcoming a nightmare after a tornado ripped through the Texas Panhandle.
“My son—he was screaming, he thought he was going to die.”
While Kenia Ramirez began to share her family’s story of survival, her mother and father stood by her side, tears of grief rolling down their cheeks. “He kept saying, ‘I feel that I need to say my last words.’ He’s pretty shaken up.”
“We’ve never experienced anything like this before,” Kenia explained. As the twister made its way to her family’s neighborhood on Thursday evening, June 15, she and her 13-year-old son Oscar, along with her parents, huddled together in the bathroom, praying for an end to the terror. “I was trying to protect all of them, and I was afraid that the wind was just going to suck us up and everybody was just going to go.”
Kenia Ramirez (at right), stands with her parents, Berta and Francisco.
The last several days have been a surreal nightmare for the Ramirez family—and sometimes they feel like they’re still struggling to wake up.
Surviving a Terrible Storm
A catastrophic tornado pummeled the small town of Perryton, Texas, last week, leaving it unrecognizable. More than 100 homes were completely destroyed with hundreds of other buildings seriously damaged. Tragically, three people lost their lives that day and the long road to recovery has only just begun.
As dark storm clouds emerged June 15, sirens rang out across the close-knit community, warning residents to take cover. Some hid in bathrooms, some under mattresses—and many prepared for the end. “I prayed to the Lord to protect us,” Kenia’s mother Berta said. “We were hugging each other until everything—the noises…everything was so horrible.”
Berta gives a hug to one of our volunteers in Texas.
As her father Francisco attempted to share his thoughts on the experience, he choked on his words—the violent memories flooding back. He laid his head on his daughter’s shoulder as she whispered, “he’s still in shock.”
To help bring physical relief and the lasting hope of Jesus Christ to a community in great need, Samaritan’s Purse deployed disaster response specialists and a tractor-trailer stocked with tools and relief equipment to Perryton following the deadly tornado.
We’ve set up our base of operations at Victory Family Church and an army of volunteers have been mobilized from around the country to serve and share the love of God with those who have lost everything.
Volunteers tarp the roof of the Ramirez home.
“We know we were appointed to be at this place, at this time, to minister to a broken and hurting community,” shared Jodie Yoder, a Samaritan’s Purse staff member. “That is evident in the lives that are being changed.”
Remembering God’s Faithfulness
After what felt like an eternity, the winds finally let up the night of the storm and the chaos ceased. The Ramirez family had survived, but their home of 27 years and most of their belongings were destroyed. Where would they go? How would they move forward?
“We were so thankful that with the damages that were done to the house, that we were able to still walk out,” Kenia stated. “The power of prayer saved us and God was with us because I know His arms were around us. I know that as a community, everybody was praying for each other and we’ve been praying for those families that had fatalities.”
The Ramirez family is one of hundreds of families recovering after a deadly twister touched down in the Texas Panhandle.
To help get them back on their feet, a swarm of Samaritan’s Purse volunteers wearing orange T-shirts began sorting through debris and tarping the shattered roof of the Ramirez Home. Even through the tremendous wreckage, a sense of gratitude was felt.
“I feel happy,” Berta said when sharing about the work on her house. “Happy because you all are here helping us clean, making everything in the house look good, pulling out the carpet, and putting the tarp on that way no water gets in it. I’m just really happy that you are here because we needed that. Thank you.”
For the Ramirez family, Samaritan’s Purse is currently salvaging personal belongings and ensuring the house is ready for a contractor to begin the renovations the family will need. The work is set to be finished in the coming days and our volunteers are eager to continue sharing the love of Jesus with them.
Already, in the first four days of this response, 12 men and women have given their lives to Jesus Christ and accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. While we grieve that the recent tragedy has brought much pain and suffering, we thank God that many have embraced the grace and hope offered by the Gospel.
How To Help
Please continue in prayer for the families of Perryton, Texas, as they begin to recover from the deadly tornado and for the dozens of Samaritan’s Purse volunteers who are faithfully serving them.
Also, in the wake of recent storms to hit Tulsa County, Oklahoma, Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Rapid Response Team are deploying there to help in Jesus’ Name. More than 100,000 people are still without power after winds in excess of 90 mph caused massive tree damage last Saturday, June 17, in the Tulsa area. Be in prayer for the victims of this disaster and for all the volunteers serving on the ground.
If you or someone you know is interested in serving with us in Oklahoma or Texas, visit our volunteer opportunities page.
Samaritan’s Purse volunteers served as the hands and feet of Jesus at the Ramirez house in Perryton, Texas.
