JARRELL, Texas — On May 27, 1997, the city of Jarrell, Texas, was hit by an F-5 tornado. That same day, an outbreak of about 20 tornadoes ripped through and demolished other parts of Texas.
In Travis County, the Hazy Hills community was in the direct path of one of those tornadoes. One person died there.
One resident made it out of his mobile home minutes before the tornado hit. His roommate stayed behind and was killed.
The tornado tore the house apart, destroying everything.
"The house was sitting all through here and that's all that's left is the front porch. And everything else is disintegrated," the resident said at the time.
Throughout the small community, rubble was all that was left of many homes. One family survived by huddling together in the bathtub.
"I remember thinking, 'Huh, so this is how I'm going to die, in a tornado. It's blowing this house away,'" one resident said.
For all of KVUE's coverage honoring the anniversary of the 1997 Jarrell tornado, visit KVUE.com/Jarrell. Watch our full "Remembering Jarrell: 25 Years Later" special report below:
MORE JARRELL TORNADO COVERAGE:
- First responders reflect on recovery efforts during 1997 Jarrell tornado
- Jarrell teachers look back on the day an F-5 tornado devastated the town
- The psychological impact of surviving a natural disaster
- 1997 Jarrell valedictorian reflects on life lessons from devastating tornado
- After an F-5 tornado hit Jarrell in 1997, then-Gov. George W. Bush visited to survey the damage
- 1997 Jarrell tornado: Volunteers arrived in droves to clear debris, donate blood