(May 25, 2009)

BEN BOLT--A major clean up is now underway in a Jim Wells County neighborhood a day after a storm hit the area. The high winds combined with the rain left several homes damaged.

Residents report it happened in a matter of minutes and without any warning. The sky turned gray, then rain and hail started followed by high winds.

 "Yes, it's very hard knowing that I don't have a home," said Maria Rising, a storm victim in Ben Bolt. 

A severe thunderstorm ripped the roof off her mobile home Sunday afternoon. Neighbors report the roof was tossed around, like this area got hit by a tornado.

"My roof and everything landed on the other side of the road, cut the power lines, the transformer," Rising said. "There are no trees in front of yard anymore."

Luckily, Rising and her three small children weren't home at the time of the storm.

"I can't imagine me and my kids being here because it would have been very devastating," Rising said.

Carmen Marez, her sister, lives next store and she was stunned what happened during the storm.

"I couldn't believe my eyes," Marez said. "It's something you don't think is going to happen. You hear about it on the Discovery Channel or stuff like that, you never think it's going to happen here."

About a half mile away, this palo blanco tree was knocked over like a toy. High winds literally lifted this motor home and moved it a couple of feet. This electrical meter was sent flying from the home.

"My parents have lived here for more than 50 years," said Juan Garcia. "This tree itself is more than 150 years old and it's memories, they're gone."

At the Pena home, a big tree was uprooted onto the home with branches all over the place.

"It was real bad. It was terrible" said Irma Pena, a storm victim. "They got damage, but they have already been reported. All the damage to the trees and everything, but our house is fine."

Neighbors in this small town came to help out the storm victims on this hot Memorial Day.

"We're trying to do the best we can," Rising said. "The good thing is we have family, friends, neighbors, people we have helped out before coming to our aid."

--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com