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It was Memorial Day weekend, and the Lake Ray Roberts Marina restaurant was bustling.
When someone spotted a tornado on the horizon, everyone rushed to the back of the restaurant to seek refuge in the freezer.
Damon Renfro, along with more than 20 others, ran through the kitchen and crammed into the walk-in freezer.
“We ran in and got inside just as it hit. The lights and power were going out on the boathouse as we were leaving,” Renfro recounted.
What was only a few minutes felt like an eternity.
“My mom probably never told us she loved us more than in that moment; I think she thought it was coming down on her,” said Corey Williams, whose parents own the restaurant.
“Kids were crying, adults were crying, and we had about eight people trapped in RVs. We were trying to find them afterward,” Renfro added.
After the tornado passed, the scene was devastating. The restaurant was in shambles, and everything was in disarray.
“It was just really loud, I just heard lots of screeching,” said Bella Alcon, who was visiting her parents who have a boat at the marina.
Alcon and her mom, Tracie, had left shortly before the tornado hit. Like many others, they returned after sunrise.
They were surprised to see the American flag still flying on their boat slip.
There was relief for some and frustration for many others.
“That was my weekend getaway right there,” said Renfro, pointing to his mangled trailer. “And my boat is over in the marina, and it sunk.”