TYLER, Texas (KETK) — Recovery efforts are still underway across East Texas after an EF-2 tornado ripped through our communities.

In Gilmer, off of State Highway 154, there is an abundance of tree limbs and debris scattered along the road, but what puts the damage into perspective is when you see others homes, completely destroyed. Like the Parker family, who just moved into their house less than 6 months ago, and now nothing is left.

“I got down the road and saw parts of my shed in the trees, and I said we aren’t gonna have anything left,” Kevin Parker recalled that night. 

Parker adds that the chaos of cleaning up has caused them to lose track of their days, but the support from selfless Texans has been overwhelming. A group of volunteers from Paris, Texas got the call two days ago about the damage in Gilmer, so their church rounded up their congregation and headed to East Texas to help families in need. 

“Sometimes we think oh it’s mostly trees on the ground or trees on top of houses instead we are seeing a lot of the houses are just gone,” said Amanda Rick, a volunteer.

A utility service in Gilmer, called “ETEX” had one of their employees’ house fall victim to the storm. In response, their coworkers stepped out of their usual job description to bring relief to a friend. The community says that East Texans are resilient and will overcome this, but the Parker’s add that you can always replace a home, but can never replace a life.