U.S. Navy veteran loses home in Willis tornado

The National Weather Service has preliminarily rated the tornado that touched down Saturday in Willis an EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

EF-2 tornadoes produce winds between 111 and 135 miles per hour.  Damage from these storms can be considerable, including mobile homes destroyed, trees uprooted, and cars lifted off the ground.  EF-2 tornadoes can easily rip the roof off a framed home, too.

The Willis tornado ripped apart a steel building, flipped RV’s, uprooted trees and brought down power lines.  Luckily, there were no reports of serious injury.

During the tornado,  a 30-foot trailer owned by U.S. Navy veteran, Forrest Harvey, 77, is considered a total loss. His travel trailer flipped upside down and slammed into his neighbor’s home causing significant damage.

Harvey was not inside when the tornado hit.

A neighbor started a Go Fund Me account for Harvey to replace his home, clothes, and for his basic needs. It’s estimated $12,000 to $15,000 is needed to help the veteran start over.

If you’re interested in helping Harvey head to the Facebook or Go Fund Me Pages. 

The National Weather Service will issue a formal statement Sunday evening that details the results of their damage survey for the tornado in Willis.