Storm spotter remembers warning of a deadly tornado that hit North Texas towns 10 years ago
10 years ago today, an EF-4 tornado touched down and ripped through Sunnyvale, Garland, and Rowlett, leaving more than a dozen dead.
But things could have been worse; a storm spotter watched the tornado form and alerted the National Weather Service and emergency responders immediately, no doubt saving countless lives.
"Just hate to think that people lost their lives and there was nothing we could do," said Laszlo Laky.
10 years later, Laky still lives with the fact that 13 people were killed when an EF-4 tornado touched down in Sunnyvale.
He saw the events of that day from the beginning.
"We were warning them, and they were setting off the sirens based on what we were seeing when it first formed, so we couldn't have done it any earlier. We saw it before it actually touched the ground," said Laky.
The trained storm spotter called 911 as the tornado was forming
"It's fixin' to cross I-30. It's fixin' to cross I-30. We need to shut traffic down on I-30," Laky can be heard on the 911 calls. "It's getting bigger. God it's huge."
There's no doubt Laky saved lives that night, but the memories of the ones he couldn't save stay with him.
"Man, this is 10 years later, and I can still see that lowering and I can still see that closet, I can still see the gas station," he said. "The closet was exposed, and there was a dress hanging that was undisturbed. How does that happen?"
But he knows that his actions that night mattered.
"That's why we do it. The idea of spotting is to give early warning to people, give them a chance to seek cover," said Laky.
Laky did exactly that. He gave people a chance.