JACKSBORO, Texas (KFDX/KJTL) — Two weeks ago, an EF-3 tornado touched down in Jacksboro, Texas. It stayed on the ground for 45 minutes, at times reaching a half-mile wide, and damaged Jacksboro Elementary School and Jacksboro High School.
The damage to the two schools was extensive, prompting Jacksboro Independent School District officials to cancel classes for an entire week.
Students returned to class on Tuesday, March 29, even though repairs to both campuses remain in progress in some sections of the schools.
On Monday, Jacksboro ISD officials released surveillance footage from inside the schools that depicts the moment the tornado slammed into the buildings, giving an incredible new look at just how devastating the tornado was.
Footage from four different cameras was sent to the KFDX/KJTL newsroom, each angle shedding new light on the impact the tornado had on the schools.
One angle shows the moment Jacksboro Elementary was damaged, capped off by a close encounter with falling part of the ceiling and the principal Michael Qualls.
Another angle shows the destruction at the Jacksboro Elementary gym, depicting for several moments a swirling, tornadic cloud of debris and insulation.
The third set of images, taken from Jacksboro High School, shows an entire wall of the gym collapsing and powerful winds continuing to damage the interior of the school.
A final look from the Jacksboro High School football field shows just how powerful the winds were and how heavy the rain was, scattering equipment and making the uprights bend and sway violently.
As the city continues to recover from the damaged caused by this storm, these new perspectives help paint a clearer picture of just how devastating a tornado can be. The new footage also serves as a powerful reminder of how miraculous it is that no lives were lost and that no one was seriously injured.