SAN ANTONIO – The damage toll from Friday night’s wicked storm in San Antonio is growing as people across the city continue assessing the damage to their homes.
Helen Klonek, a homeowner in the Five Points neighborhood north of downtown, said her home was destroyed when a tree fell on it.
“I heard it, and then I heard the tree crack. Then my house shook, and I kept hearing the wood come down. And at that time, I was on the floor,” Klonek said.
Klonek said her house has been condemned.
“They could tear it down in four days,” Klonek said.
She is not the only person dealing with storm damage. The West Side saw extensive damage, and nine of Klonek’s neighbors are now staying at an Airbnb.
The president of the Five Points Neighborhood Association said those neighbors are now in limbo.
“Not sure yet. We’re trying to get resources for them,” Marcela Espinoza, president of the Five Points Neighborhood Association, said.
On Monday, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said the city is assessing the damage to determine whether it exceeds $10 million, which could make San Antonio eligible for state help.
Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to work with local partners to determine whether the damage meets the threshold for federal assistance.
“In today’s world, we don’t have the kind of money for devastations like this to happen in our lives,” Klonek said.
City and county officials are working to connect people with agencies including the San Antonio Food Bank and H-E-B to provide food and gift cards. The governor is also asking residents whose property was damaged to fill out a survey to help asses the damage.