Cooke County

North Texas family loses home to EF-3 tornado, 19 years after surviving Hurricane Katrina

The Sharbers say they plan to rebuild

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After a tornado carved its deadly path in Cooke County, the same storm set its sights on a neighborhood in Celina, dropping what the National Weather Service says was a high-end EF-3 tornado.

Terry and Jenn Sharber live along the path the twister took.

Their home was destroyed 19 years ago when Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana. They lost their home again in the tornado.

“I said I don't know if I have it to do it again. I don't know if I have a second time,” said Jenn Sharber.

The Sharbers were at home with family Saturday night, surrounded by baby gifts from a shower that morning for their three-week old grandson.

“Our daughter and her friend were right here sitting on this couch when we came out and said we got to go, we got to go,” said Jenn.

They went to their storm cellar. Then Terry ran to his neighbors’ house to wake them. He says he helped a couple in their 70s into their storm cellar, then woke up more neighbors who took cover in the middle of their home.

Terry then stepped into his cellar, too.

“Ears popped and knew something was going to happen then,” he said.

Seconds later, a tornado passed right above their heads, destroying their dream home, and crushing their neighbors’ house. He says they family had to be pulled from the rubble but survived.

“I was worried. It was scary. Never experienced anything like that before,” said Terry Sharber.

From their bent flag pole to a window ripped from its frame to the roof blown off their bedroom, evidence of the EF-3 is everywhere.

“It’s kind of scary to think about all the possibilities,” said Terry.

Wednesday, the family who's lost everything had something special returned.   

A baby picture of their youngest daughter was found miles away by a stranger in the town of Weston. The picture was shared online and identified as their daughter Grace.

“It’s just a precious memory, I mean, that's about the age she was when Hurricane Katrina came through,” said Jenn.

“It’s crazy to think this picture went through Katrina and it also went through this tornado and has managed to still come back,” said Terry.

The Sharbers say they'll come back again, too.

The family has created an online fundraiser to help rebuild and replace their belongings.

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