Jan Wesner Childs
Seventy dogs and cats survived a tornado that hit the Pasadena Animal Shelter in suburban Houston Tuesday.
Shelter staff and volunteers rushed to help the animals in the aftermath.
"It was hard to watch. They were confused. They were scared," Laura Branch Mireles, a spokeswoman for the city of Pasadena, said in an interview via video Wednesday.
"The debris had fallen when the roof was ripped off. It had fallen, it was all in their kennels and their little food bowls."
(MORE: Man Rides Out Destructive Houston Storm In His Driveway)
Damage to the shelter is estimated at more than $1 million.
"We think it is going to be a total loss," Mireles said. "It’s pretty bad out there."
The animal shelter in Pasadena, Texas, that was destroyed by a tornado on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.Two animals sustained minor injuries during the storm.
"But they’re tough. They hung in there," Mireles said of all the animals. "They had a lot of good care and a lot of really good people looking out for them."
Some of those people made their way through roads covered in debris to get to the shelter, located about 14 miles southeast of Houston's city center. The animals were moved to an adjacent facility next door.
"I don’t know how these volunteers made it through but we literally had people showing up walking dogs from one building to the other while our staff was trying to get things coordinated," Mireles said.
(PHOTOS: Residents Work To Clean Up After Tornado Hits Houston Area)
Within 24 hours, nearly all the animals were placed in foster care. Some 19 rescue groups stepped up to assist, some from as far as three hours away.
"It’s been really amazing and heartwarming to see just how quickly everybody comes to your aid," Mireles said.
The National Weather Service rated the tornado that moved through Pasadena, and nearby Deer Park, as an EF3 with peak winds estimated at 140 mph. It tore a path 18 miles long and more than half a mile wide.
Homes and businesses were destroyed and a nursing home had to be evacuated, but there were no reports of deaths or major injuries.
"For our entire community, the biggest concern is trying to get everyone back to a sense of normalcy," Mireles said.
"We do have some displaced community members and residents … so we’re just doing our best to get everybody the resources they need because there is a lot of damage here."
(MORE: January Tornado Count In US Tops 100 For Only Third Time)
Contributions are being accepted for the animal shelter and pet food is being donated to local residents whose animals are in need because of the storm.
"At this point, we are not calling for any fosters," Mireles said. "But when the dust settles, so to speak, then down the road … when we start taking those animals back to Pasadena, we are going to be wanting fosters and forever homes."
Donations to the animal shelter can be made here. Donations for overall disaster relief can be made to the Red Cross here.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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