Valero employees recount tornado that tore through Shreveport's Youree Drive area
On Thursday evening just after 5:30 p.m., a tornado touched down in south Shreveport causing damages to businesses and homes.
The Valero Gas Station in the 8700 block of Youree Drive received damage to the awning, gas pumps and signage.
The sign that used to stand tall in the sky was found in the front yard of the Caddo Parish District 5 fire station in the 5100 block of Dixie Garden Drive. This is several miles away from the gas station.
Thursday evening the Shreveport Times spoke with two workers of the Valero Gas Station who recounted their experiences of the March 2 tornado.
Ean McKinnon was working at the gas station that evening when his monitor went off while checking out a customer. He said, "the next thing I noticed I saw two people run inside. I told the guy I was checking out go to the cooler and I would be behind him."
He said as he said that the glass began to shatter, and things began to fly around the store. In less than 30 seconds the storm tore through this area and McKinnon's customer was laying on the ground.
Read: Tornado damages trees at LSU Shreveport, neighborhoods and Youree Drive businesses Thursday
"By the time I noticed he was on the ground the storm went by," said McKinnon. "I helped him back up so he could walk again and walked around to make sure everybody else was fine."
McKinnon said nobody was injured.
A couple miles down the road McKinnon's co-worker Aaron Cadwell was driving to the gas station when he said the tornado caused him to spin around in his vehicle.
Cadwell said, "I was heading down Flournoy Lucas past Kroger off of Ellerbe when I noticed a funnel and was trying to get to work quickly so I could let Ean know."
He said with a matter of seconds the tornado touched down about 200 feet away from him spinning his car around. "I ducked down and waited until it stopped and raced here (gas station)," said Cadwell.
Upon arrival, Cadwell discovered that the gas station had been hit. Cadwell and other employees were working to clean up the area Thursday evening and said they would be open Friday.
"We can't sell gas, but everything inside will be up and running," said Cadwell.
The National Weather Service said they will be releasing the grading on the tornado later today after surveyors assess the area.
More: Louisiana family describes surviving deadly tornado
Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Valero employees recount tornado that tore through Shreveport
