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Tornado victims speak 1 week after EF-2 touched down in Temple

Temple tornado: One week later
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TEMPLE, Texas (KXXV) — It's been a week since an EF-2 tornado touched down in Temple — residents there have spent the last week cleaning up debris.

Anthony Merolillo rode out last week's tornado inside his home.

"It was scary — no doubt," he said.

His power was out for three days, and he lost a freezer full of meat — now it's piled in trash outside his home.

They had to replace the transformer behind his home.

He cut up a tree that came down on his fence.

His neighbor is still without power.

Miguel Callejas with CJM Tree Services has cleared six houses with trees on roofs.

"This one behind me had a tree come down and push sheet rock into the master bedroom," Callejas said.

The city says at the height of the storm there were 60,000 without power.

Now there are just under 2,000 without power.

The city started a crisis clean-up task force which connects residents with services like tree trimming and debris pick-up.

If you need help, call the crisis clean-up task force at 512-201-4814.