A tornado struck the small Texas community of Junction on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Investigators for the US National Weather Service Abilene/San Angelo Texas conducted a survey in Junction and located two tracks from the same tornado. The first track was on the southwest side of town: an EF-0 with maximum winds of 80 miles per hour, and the second was said to be an EF-1 featuring maximum winds of 100 miles per hour. The second track went along Main Street itself, touching down between 14th Street and 5th Street.
The tornado caused damage all across Junction, leaving a debris path that was easy to follow. At least one building was ruined, and many tree limbs fell. Sheds were toppled and carried distances by the winds. The First United Methodist Church of Junction was the structure that was hit the hardest. The roof was torn off and multiple windows were broken, with water damage to the interior. After ripping the church roof off, the tornado missed the Sunday School building but went on to touch down again at some Junction businesses. The roof of the Gonzales Café was also blown off. The damage to the restaurant came after a recent remodel by the owners. Now Michael Flores, the owner’s son, is concerned about the cost of repairing the building and getting the café back up and running to pay bills.
