TEMPLE, Texas (KXXV) — Wednesday’s storms left behind countless damaged or destroyed businesses in the City of Temple.
25News' Bobby Poitevint spoke to two teens who lived through the tornado inside the restaurant where they work.
What Ella Wagenaar and Alanah Thompson thought would be a normal day at work at Jeremiah’s Italian Ice in Temple, would later land them and others huddled together in their workplace bathroom praying for their safety, the people they love and the people in their city.
"Holding on to each other, holding hands, shaking hysterical, praying the whole time," they said.
"Yeah, deep breathes — we didn’t have that much to say, eyes closed.”
The property was damaged, but thankfully everyone was okay, but many businesses around them were not so lucky.
Children's play equipment was scattered after Little Einsteins Academy is mostly gone after the storm.
All of this damage took place at the Westfield community, where shops, favorite restaurants, and other businesses now have pieces of their property scattered everywhere.
“We could hear everything flying," the two teens said.
“I felt pretty secure in here.”
What was suppose to be graduation day, and a day of celebration, is now a day of reflection and survival for these two teens.
"Obviously, it’s really unfortunate because our families are leaving because we don’t get to graduate till next week," Ella said.
"We’re more thankful that we’re okay and that they’re all okay, then it is about graduation.”
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice leadership say they can open back up once they have food and power but they did lose around $2,000 worth of ice cream, but for other businesses, here it will take much longer to rebuild.
