UPSHUR COUNTY, Texas — It was home, the place where Steven Hagler and his three siblings grew up. The place their father, Lindley Hagler, a carpenter and builder, constructed with his own hands 52 years ago. A simple, one-story 1,600-square-foot house where grandchildren now play and the family gathered.
It was there Monday, and mostly gone Tuesday, but Steven Hagler said his parents, Lindley and Wanda, both 77, were safe after their home was destroyed when storms rolled through East Texas. They were home and had just gone to bed when their family home, on their family farm, was hit by a tornado. The National Weather Service sent teams to the area on Tuesday to survey the damage and classify the storms, with a preliminary report showing damage south of Gilmer from an EF-2 tornado with winds of 130 mph. A final report will be issued later.
“It was nothing special, not like a new modern home, but we all grew up there,” Hagler said. “The whole house had been remodeled. They’ve been happy about that and finally excited to have everything kind of like they wanted it in their golden years. Now, it looks like we’ll end up bulldozing the house and I don’t know what we’ll do.”
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