Mother and two children killed in tornado in Cooke County – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

A Cooke County mother and two of her children were killed in the tornado that swept through North Texas on Saturday evening.

The Esparza family told NBC 5 that Laura Esparza, her 15-year-old daughter Miranda and her nine-year-old son Marco died while trying to seek shelter from the storm.

“They said they waited on the bathroom floor for the tornado to pass, but the wind caught their RV and dragged them about 100 feet,” said Jesus Cancino, a family member.

Twenty-four hours after the severe storm ripped through four north Texas counties, state and local officials said their communities would spend the coming days clearing away the debris.

“Texans across the state are saddened by the tragic loss of life,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Officials said more than 38,000 homes and businesses were still without power as of Sunday night, and no further missing people were reported in connection with the storm.

The governor signed a disaster declaration requesting assistance for families in the more than 370 homes damaged or destroyed by the storm, as well as for relatives of the seven people killed in the tornado.

“When they woke up yesterday, they had no idea that the family would literally be crushed by this terrible storm,” Abbott said.

The Esparzas were among those mourning.

The Cooke County family said Laura and Refugio Esparza and their three children sought shelter when their home was blown away by the wind.

“My brother-in-law said it lasted less than a minute,” Cancino said. “He said he was just laying there and suddenly the power went out and he didn’t know anything else until he woke up in the hospital this morning.”

Laura Esparza, her 15-year-old daughter Miranda and her nine-year-old son Marco were killed and their bodies thrown under several trucks across the street.

In his hospital bed, Laura Esparza’s husband learned that almost his entire family was dead.

“We didn’t want to tell him because we knew he would be devastated if he found out,” Cancino said. “And in the end we had to tell him, and he’s really devastated.”

Surrounded by the devastation, the family said it was almost impossible to carry on right now. But they wanted to carry on for those who needed them most.

“His family,” Cancino said. “Three family members at once, that’s terrible.”

Anyone who would like to support the Esparza family can donate to their GoFundMe campaign.

Cooke County has also set up an official tornado relief fund at First United Bank in Gainesville. The bank can be reached at 940-665-3484.