Valley View community steps up during second day of storm recovery

Day two of recovery commenced in Valley View as National Weather Service survey teams continued evaluating the area following the weekend’s devastating tornadoes.

Initial assessments on Sunday revealed significant damage from both EF-2 and EF-3 tornadoes. On Monday, relief efforts saw increased activity, with power crews, food services, and community members mobilizing to assist in the hardest-hit neighborhoods.

For many residents like Rocio Landeros, the emotional toll of the losses is profound. While Landeros’s home sustained damage, she considers herself fortunate compared to friends and family who lost everything.

“I have three sisters, a sister-in-law, and an uncle down the road that just didn’t have anything to pick up. It’s all being bundled into big piles and being burned down,” Landeros shared.

Landeros also recounted the traumatic experience of assisting a desperate mother in search of her two missing children immediately after the storm.

“She said, ‘you know what I need an ambulance. I need help. I need as much people as I can get to help me find my kids,’” Landeros recalled.

“She said ‘please help me find my little girl. She said she’s a dark complexion and hard to find but she does have purple beads in her hair.’”

Tragically, the siblings, aged two and five, were discovered deceased in a pond the following day, marking the youngest victims among the seven who perished in the storm.

“It got to me in my heart because I was looking for them all night and didn’t find them, and then to wake up the next morning and find out they weren’t with us anymore, it was hard,” Landeros reflected.

Despite the immense loss, the community has rallied together to provide support. At the Valley View John Fortenberry Community Center, donations continue pouring in around the clock, recognizing the ongoing need for assistance.

However, the community still requires essential items such as work gloves, ropes, and tarps to mitigate setbacks from anticipated rainfall in the coming days.