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'It was so traumatic' | Southeast Texans assessing the damage left by severe weather, tornadoes Tuesday

Multiple counties were under tornado watches and warnings.

PORT ARTHUR, Texas — As heavy winds, torrential rains and tornadoes swept across Southeast Texas, many anxiously waited to check on one another as they took shelter from the storms.

Families in Southeast Texas are assessing the damage brought by Tuesday's severe weather.

Multiple counties were under tornado watches and warnings. As confirmed tornadoes hit the ground, residents were encouraged to take cover. 

The severe storms left thousands without power and brought serious damage to some Southeast Texas cities. The storms have since moved out of the area, and now, residents are dealing with the chaos left behind.

The Taylor Landing neighborhood in Port Arthur was one of the most affected areas. A 12News crew in the area saw the aftermath which included uprooted road signs and down tree branches. 

"The whole house was shaking,” Junilyn Rabago, Taylor landing resident, said. “The doors were shaking. The windows were shaking. It was so traumatic."

Related: Southeast Texas school districts canceling classes Wednesday following severe weather

Rabago and her son were taking cover in a small closet when a tornado barreled through her neighborhood. 

“I had my bag,” Rabago said. “I put water, food in there, and then I went to my closet with my kid and a flashlight and hid under the comforter."

The tornado not only tore through her fence and backyard but also took some of their furniture.

"We had some chairs over here," Rabago said. "I don't know where they're all at. We did search around but there was nothing to find."

Taylor Landing was not the only neighborhood that suffered damage. A few miles away, families in Port Acres had to take cover from severe weather.

“I heard real swirling winds, and I heard a real bad lightning strike," Norman Cockrell said. "Didn't know what it was. Came to sit out here and saw a firetruck right here, came out and a tree was on my neighbor's house."

Cockrell said his neighbor did not know a tree had landed on her house until he went to check on her. Thankfully, she was not injured.

The damage some Southeast Texans face is extensive, but so far, no serious injuries have been reported. For that, many are thankful. 

"At the end of the day these are all materials," Rabago said. "So I just hoped to God that we are all safe and I didn't think of anything else but my safety and my son's safety."

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