A tornado struck Van Zandt County, TX, April 29, and tragically, four people died from injuries sustained during the storm.
Severely hit was the I20 Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership on Interstate 20 in Canton, TX. Taking a direct hit from the twister, the walls of the new showroom and maintenance facility were blown out and most of the cars were flipped, left as clumps of twisted metal or thrown onto the nearby highway.
Owner Randall Noe told NBCDFW news that they’d evacuated the store about 10 minutes before the tornado hit, and luckily no one from the dealership was hurt. The news crew reported that the damage to the dealership will be in the millions of dollars.
Miraculously, left standing was technician Jose Gomez’ Matco Tools toolbox. The 6s 28” toolbox took a beating but was left standing in the midst of massive destruction.
“The Matco Tools family is grateful that Jose and the employees of the I20 dealership were unharmed in the storm,” said Ben Gambrel, vice president of marketing & eBusiness of Matco Tools. “The fact that the toolbox is standing amidst the rubble is a testament to the strength and durability of our construction.”
More photos of the tornado damage and the dealership can be viewed at facebook.com/i20dodge/photos, kltv.com/clip/13288931/interstate-20-tornado-damage and dfw.cbslocal.com/2017/04/29/tornado-hits-canton/.
