# Onalaska Tornado - April 22, 2020



## GaryI (Mar 18, 2015)

I am surprised that I haven't seen a thread here yet concerning the recent tornado devastation. I am sure that a number of our 2Coolers have been seriously impacted by this and my prayers go out to all of those fine folks and their families. 

In the attached image of the Kickapoo Creek damage, I recall attending several 2Cool fish frys hosted by Kickapoo Duke in the devastated yellow lakeside house. Hopefully he and others in this area are safe.


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## GaryI (Mar 18, 2015)

I also seem to recall that 2Cooler Gary (GT11) lives in the furthest right house, but again that was a few years ago.


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## MrsTroutsnot (Sep 14, 2005)

Just went on again this morning to see if there was any word about Duke. Sadly, I see his house in this picture. Has anybody been able to touch base with him and Crystal? We have an extra couple of bedrooms upstairs if they need to use them, here in Onalaska. I'm not familiar with how to do it, but does a 2Cool auction need to be considered to help raise funds for some of our 2Coolers affected?


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

It was in the TTMB forum. Many great fish fry's there. Prayers to the families.
I lost everything in Katrina. Biggest advice is don't accept the first quote from the insurance company. Get a contractor to give you a quote. Then get another adjuster to give you another quote. Go thru 5 adjusters if you need to.


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## Reel Time (Oct 6, 2009)

GaryI said:


> I am surprised that I haven't seen a thread here yet concerning the recent tornado devastation. I am sure that a number of our 2Coolers have been seriously impacted by this and my prayers go out to all of those fine folks and their families.
> 
> In the attached image of the Kickapoo Creek damage, I recall attending several 2Cool fish frys hosted by Kickapoo Duke in the devastated yellow lakeside house. Hopefully he and others in this area are safe.


GT11 moved a few years ago.


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## Sac-a-lait Trey (Jun 10, 2015)

In addition to “Onalaska Tornado” on TTMB, the “Anyone Heard From Shadslinger” thread has a lot of info regarding affected 2Coolers.


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## Reel Time (Oct 6, 2009)

MrsTroutsnot said:


> Just went on again this morning to see if there was any word about Duke. Sadly, I see his house in this picture. Has anybody been able to touch base with him and Crystal? We have an extra couple of bedrooms upstairs if they need to use them, here in Onalaska. I'm not familiar with how to do it, but does a 2Cool auction need to be considered to help raise funds for some of our 2Coolers affected?


I have been texting with him. He is proud and may not reach out for help.
He does have a camper on his property. In one pic it looked tipped over and in another, it was righted. I don't know where he is staying.
My house dodged a bullet but I still have no electricity.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Hello GaryL...haven't seen much of you lately.

I posted the first one on 2cool right after a friend sent me a picture of the twister on the ground as it went through 7Oaks. It was ominous and headed in my general direction.

https://www.2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=2672157

If you are out and about you can't miss seeing what it did as it passed through there...apparently spared Corrigan and only brushed the Camden area thankfully.


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## Sac-a-lait Trey (Jun 10, 2015)

For you folks in contact with 2Coolers affected by the tornado, please let me know what I can collect and bring there on Friday (May 1st). That gives me a week to try and collect whatever they might need.

My immuno-compromised wife vetoed the idea of any other efforts on my part, but maybe this will help someone in need.


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

I know Housewolf took a direct hit. I got a text response back from him shortly after it happened that said â€œ Iâ€™m alive and determined â€œ. He was in his home when it hit. I also have talked with Jeff Freidrich who also took a devastating hit. Let us know Trey if there is any kind of fundraiser, Iâ€™ll be glad to help and contribute.


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## Reel Time (Oct 6, 2009)

whsalum said:


> I know Housewolf took a direct hit. I got a text response back from him shortly after it happened that said â€œ Iâ€™m alive and determined â€œ. He was in his home when it hit. I also have talked with Jeff Freidrich who also took a devastating hit. Let us know Trey if there is any kind of fundraiser, Iâ€™ll be glad to help and contribute.


Were they in Yaupon Cove?


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I had saved up enough fresh catfish in the freezer to have the canceled fish fry. And will gladly donate it to a free dinner for the first responders in the area and those who need a meal in these busy times and all of the devastation. 
I'm not able to prepare and cook, but I have enough fish( freshly frozen bluecat) to feed 80 people, and can up it quick if anyone can do the work.


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## GaryI (Mar 18, 2015)

Meadowlark, in response to your comment about not seeing much of me on here lately, you are seeing about the same amount of me as I have seen white bass for the last year and a half. Hopefully that will start changing next month!


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

Reel Time said:


> Were they in Yaupon Cove?


Housewolf had a place in Texas Acres. Jeff lives in a subdivision across the road from Walkers Landing.


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## GT11 (Jan 1, 2013)

Gary, I sold my place there last Feb and bought a place in North Carolina. I have emailed back and forth with the new owners and the house did OK during the storm since it was a little down the hill from the bulk of the wind. As you can see, most of my old neighbors there were hit pretty hard and I have spoken to several of them. Everyone is OK but it will be a while before things get back to normal there.


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Wife and I took a ride up Kickapoo on Friday. The destruction was shocking close up. I hope Duke is OK. I am hesitant to post any pics--lives were destroyed in seconds. 



Everyone who lives up here loves it and to see our fellow citizens' lives destroyed like this is heartbreaking. And it could be any of us--I am less than 2 miles from the destruction....


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## GaryI (Mar 18, 2015)

Thanks for the update, Gary (GT11). I still appreciate the time you took me out in your boat and showed me around the Kickapoo Creek area. That was extremely helpful.


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## BDGreen (Jul 20, 2019)

I have a friend who lives in Yaupon Cove and all that's left of his house is the bedroom. He's running a generator for a window unit. I offered my place further north on the lake but they have looters showing up. They're going to get a travel trailer to stay in for the time being. It's bad enough to lose everything, but then have to deal with ********* just makes it worse.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

BDGreen said:


> .....I offered my place further north on the lake but they have looters showing up. They're going to get a travel trailer to stay in for the time being. It's bad enough to lose everything, but then have to deal with ********* just makes it worse.


Thieves are the lowest scum to start with, but looters in a situation like this seems to set a new low.

Maybe I think strangely, but even if the home owners are healthy and insurance pays well and the people rebuild ...... the area won't look the same for their lifetime with the mature trees gone. East Texas Piney Woods were reduced to barren fields in areas.


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## GT11 (Jan 1, 2013)

GaryI said:


> Thanks for the update, Gary (GT11). I still appreciate the time you took me out in your boat and showed me around the Kickapoo Creek area. That was extremely helpful.


Gary, you are welcome, that is what 2cool is about!


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## housewolf (Nov 24, 2014)

Since I saw my (screen) name mentioned a couple of times... even though itâ€™s old news, Iâ€™ll give an update (copied from post I made elsewhere);

Our neighborhood is devastated. I rode the tornado out in the second floor of my house. Half my house is gone and the other half isnâ€™t much better. Iâ€™ve lost a lot but I am fine. Iâ€™m so sorry for those in the area who arenâ€™t. There has been almost a constant parade of community members and some from even farther away driving down the streets offering food, water, ice, even to help clean up. I have a long history with Onalaska as a visitor but have only lived here five years. I wonâ€™t ever leave.

My pup, Range, bottom pic, and I rode it out in a little hallway just to the right of the yellow cabinet/in front of the fridge you can see in the first pic. I wasnâ€™t the scaredest Iâ€™ve ever been, but it certainly makes the top ten!

Insurance adjusters have been out and if the hold to their word, weâ€™ll do okay. I started our pow wow with a line my grandpa used to say; in a good horsetrade, neither the buyer, the seller, or the horse gets screwed. We didnâ€™t hit the lottery but didnâ€™t expect to. Iâ€™ll be putting a roof over my garage which previously had two floors jilt above it. Then building a one story next door connected by a breezeway. Once completed, my wife and I will put the house in Tomball on the market and both live here full time. Thanks for all the well wishes!


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## housewolf (Nov 24, 2014)

Whitebassfisher said:


> Thieves are the lowest scum to start with, but looters in a situation like this seems to set a new low.
> 
> Maybe I think strangely, but even if the home owners are healthy and insurance pays well and the people rebuild ...... the area won't look the same for their lifetime with the mature trees gone. East Texas Piney Woods were reduced to barren fields in areas.


Iâ€™m okay with no trees. Iâ€™m just lucky that big magnolia in the first pic didnâ€™t go straight back and center punch me. God looks after fools and children.

I would like to talk with you soon about your home building experience here. Take care.


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Glad you are OK... If I may ask--would you mind telling us what it was like when it actually hit? The pictures are shocking. If you dont want to I understand.


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## housewolf (Nov 24, 2014)

wwind3 said:


> Glad you are OK... If I may ask--would you mind telling us what it was like when it actually hit? The pictures are shocking. If you dont want to I understand.


I donâ€™t mind at all. In fact I just spent 30 min doing one and lost it when I hit the preview button. Iâ€™ll do another later, sorry.

Here is a screenshot of a video I took. I think I sent it to ducktracker & whsalum. If either of them have a YouTube I donâ€™t mind if they post it. Most of the excitement had passed by the time I started videoing though. I wish Iâ€™d got that wall blowing off but I might have dropped the phone


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Unreal--amazing you weren't sucked right out of there! Glad you are OK! 



Good luck finding a builder....I havent fared too well so far in 10 yrs up here. People come out and say they'll get back to you-tell you how great they are--and you dont hear from them again.


I had one guy on adding a room--went thru all the prelim bs and didnt hear from him for a month--said he went on vacation in S America--glad I didnt give him any money--at least he didnt go on vacation with my money..


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Sure glad your OK housewolf. If that isn't the scariest thing and just makes it to the top 10 on the list - I think number 1 would give us nightmares. WOW a lot of damage.


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## housewolf (Nov 24, 2014)

Gofish2day said:


> Sure glad your OK housewolf. If that isn't the scariest thing and just makes it to the top 10 on the list - I think number 1 would give us nightmares. WOW a lot of damage.


Thank you sir. Iâ€™ll try and post the events I went through tonight or when I have time.

#1
You ever had a raccoon jump at you in the dark as you reached for a container of dog food? Screamed like a little girl  I was â€œshook upâ€ for an hour!

I rode & raced motorcycles for years, then raced cars. Found myself offshore fishing in a small(er) boat a few times when I wish I hadnâ€™t. I got the tornado merit badge now!


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## housewolf (Nov 24, 2014)

*My Tornado Tale*

What I should have stressed in my OP was for folks to take these warnings seriously.

I went back and checked some texts and time stamps. It was twenty four minutes from the time I got the warning on my phone until the side of the house blew off. I was playing frisbee with my dog when I got the warning. I checked the radar on my phone and it appeared the worst of the storm was going north of me, I could see the clouds were really dark that direction and the radar said same. A neighbor was there visiting me. He took off like a bat out of hell to get home, I didn't say anything to him about it, but did find it odd he took it so seriously.

I continued playing frisbee with Range a few minutes while texting back & forth with a buddy in Rockwall who happened to be watching the weather in my location. He had been warning me but finally agreed the worst was north of me but there was a â€œhookâ€ on the south end of the radar and I should keep aware. (I know now what the hook means) Several minutes later Range and I went upstairs to watch the storm roll in across the lake. What we saw coming at us across the lake looked more like a heavy rain shower than anything resembling a funnel. By the time I went in and closed the sliding glass door, pine cones and small branches were hitting the back of the house with enough force I knew it was serious. I glanced back at he window about the time the tornado hit the bulkhead. It looked like a gray wall moving at us. On the way to the small hallway where we rode it out, my ears started popping. No sooner than my butt hit the floor, the house began shaking like it was in one of those machines used to mix paint. _That_ was scary. Itâ€™s when I started a prayer I donâ€™t remember finishing but it probably didnâ€™t end with amen. it wasn't ten seconds I heard the big crash and breaking glass, I thought, ****, the windows broke, it was only a few seconds later the side wall blew off (I was able to see that and got a video just after). Once the rear wall collapsed, the roof blew off, and the side wall blew away, the house wasnâ€™t shaking like it had been and even being more exposed, I felt like Iâ€™d be okay. Sorry if the video is boring, my hands were wet, my print wouldnâ€™t unlock the phone and my trembling fingers missed the passcode on the first attempt. The worst had long since past when the video starts. I was thinking I was about ready for this to be over. I mean tornados are supposed to be short in duration right?? It was over quickly and neighbors were running around hollering checking on one another before the wind even died down completely. I climbed down to check on neighbors too.

Afterthoughts;
This is an awesome community with some very kind people. I never want to leave and I want to be more like them.

Take all weather alerts seriously and act quickly.

I should have never gone upstairs, but I had no idea what was about to happen

Why do I prefer my coffee black now. I never did before. This puzzles me.

My dog may have saved my life. He gave me someone to protect and did exactly as he was told.

The corona virus isnâ€™t nearly as scary as it was a week ago.

Video you may have to scroll down to see it

ETA:
LOL! I think that is my mallard drake mount nose planted near the nearest leg of the table. One last flight. Good for him


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

Glad you're OK buddy. I volunteered up there today in Canyon Park and Yaupon Cove. I've worked storm jobs for years with Southwestern Bell and AT&T and this is as bad as I've seen in 40 years.


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

*Builder*



housewolf said:


> Iâ€™m okay with no trees. Iâ€™m just lucky that big magnolia in the first pic didnâ€™t go straight back and center punch me. God looks after fools and children.
> 
> I would like to talk with you soon about your home building experience here. Take care.


Might consider Tilson Homes. A friend near Coldspring just had one built and it went well. I've known of some of the people there since the 80's. Best of luck and great to hear you are here to talk about it.


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## housewolf (Nov 24, 2014)

fishinganimal said:


> Might consider Tilson Homes. A friend near Coldspring just had one built and it went well. I've known of some of the people there since the 80's. Best of luck and great to hear you are here to talk about it.


Yes, my brother, and a few other people I know have Tilson homes. I need to contact them but I donâ€™t think they build what Iâ€™m looking for anymore. 1600 sq ft, pier & beam, dry in only. Iâ€™ll finish or subcontract the rest out myself.

Thank you


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## Reel Time (Oct 6, 2009)

I spent some time with Kickapoo Duke yesterday. We took a drive through the affected areas. Duke probably wont tell you this, but right after the tornado, he and another guy saved a woman across the street from him when her house collapsed on her. They moved everything that was on top of her, pulled her out and loaded her onto a pontoon so that rescue crews could get to her. That is a hero in my book!


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Reel Time said:


> I spent some time with Kickapoo Duke yesterday. We took a drive through the affected areas. Duke probably wont tell you this, but right after the tornado, he and another guy saved a woman across the street from him when her house collapsed on her. They moved everything that was on top of her, pulled her out and loaded her onto a pontoon so that rescue crews could get to her. That is a hero in my book!


Wow! Duke isn't known as the Sheriff of Kickapoo Creek for nothing!
Hat's off to those two guys.


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

I think the guys that were ferrying the injured people from the Yaupon Cove ramp to be evacuated were Rodger Gordon and Frank Morgan. These guys probably deserve a shout out as well.


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## Reel Time (Oct 6, 2009)

whsalum said:


> I think the guys that were ferrying the injured people from the Yaupon Cove ramp to be evacuated were Rodger Gordon and Frank Morgan. These guys probably deserve a shout out as well.


Absolutely. I don't know them but they deserve a shout out. There are probably a lot of untold stories of everyday heroes.


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

*Subs*



housewolf said:


> Yes, my brother, and a few other people I know have Tilson homes. I need to contact them but I donâ€™t think they build what Iâ€™m looking for anymore. 1600 sq ft, pier & beam, dry in only. Iâ€™ll finish or subcontract the rest out myself.
> 
> Thank you


Well if you got the knowledge to sub the rest, framers and cornice crews are easy to find. Facebook Marketplace.


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