23-05-2025
People of Lake Palestine recovering one year after EF-1 Tornado
LAKE PALESTINE, Texas (KETK)- The people of Lake Palestine said even though the clean-up process is over, the storm left the area traumatized after a year of recovery.
'It was insane,' resident Shelby Soto said. 'It was like being in a movie when you first stepped out. It was surreal,'
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Shelby Soto lives by the lake and lived through the May 23rd, 2024 EF-1 tornado. Soto said when it hit, she was on her porch with friends and family.
'All we could see was like a bunch of water and stuff flying around,' Soto said.
Soto and her friends and family took cover but worried for their animals and friends living by the lake.
'All we could do is pray and go inside because there was no time to, like, hide or anything, because there was no warning, no sirens, no text messages, nothing,' Soto said.
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After the storm passed, their family discovered the severe damage. The area near Lake Palestine Resort was decimated with trees on the ground, trailer homes moved or rolled over and remains of the marina.
'It was just everywhere, there's debris everywhere,' Soto said. 'It looked insane, like there wasn't a part out here that didn't have some type of debris lying around.'
It has taken a year to recover, and Soto believes it's all thanks to the community banding together.
'After it, it really brought everybody together,' Soto said. 'We're like a little, small, little family out here now.'
The community is now helping other storm victims by hosting a fundraiser Friday night. Raising money for the people of Frankston, who were hit by an e-f zero tornado earlier this month.
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