Deaths and injuries confirmed in tornado reported in Cooke County

VALLEY VIEW, Texas — At least five people died and more than 60 people were injured following a tornado reported Saturday evening near Valley View, the Cooke County Sheriff confirmed.

Speaking from the site of the decimated AP Travel Center at the intersection of I-35 and Lone Oak Road between Valley View and Sanger early Sunday morning, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington gave a grim assessment of the tragic damage caused by Saturday evening's storms.

He confirmed that at least five people were killed in the reported tornado, including children, Sappington said.

“I can also tell you that this figure will increase,” he added. “I don’t want to speculate and give you a number.”

Most of those deaths, Sappington said, occurred in neighboring FRF estates, where teams were continuing search and rescue efforts amid “major damage.”

At least two other Cooke County children were also missing following the storm, Sappington said.

Meanwhile, dozens of people were injured when the storm slammed into the AP Travel Center, home to a Shell gas station and a few restaurants, also on Saturday evening. Sappington said the number was between 60 and 80 people, many of whom had stopped at the establishment to take shelter either in the parking lot or in the restrooms inside.

Sappington credited the assistance his department received from neighboring agencies for helping the injured get treated and sent home for the night.

“We've had an overwhelming response from out-of-county departments – Grayson County, Denton County and Sanger County, as well as the various law enforcement agencies, fire departments and EMS teams who showed up this evening to lend us a hand and we really appreciate it.”

However, he fears that the worst is yet to come.

“I'm just thinking about daylight and what we're actually going to find,” Sappington said. “And I don’t think it’s going to be good.”

Meanwhile, the sheriff asked others to stay away from the scene.

“We have a lot of people there, a lot of first responders here,” he said. “It would really help if people would stay away now and give us a few hours to complete our search and rescue. I know some people were out of the area and trying to get back, but it's dangerous out there- down. The power lines are Gas leaks have been reported. It's just dangerous right now. Just give us some time to do what we need to do. time.”

Weather, he added, will also be important in the days, weeks and months to come, as his community recovers from the damage it suffered Saturday.

“We will rebuild,” he said. “This is Texas. We can rebuild the property, and as horrible as it sounds, in two or three months it won't look like this. [then]. It will be better. But the loss of life is nothing short of tragic. It's always tragic. That’s what hurts the most.”