ANSON, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – During Tuesday night’s storms, a tornado ripped through Jones County, destroying the home of a Taylor County Sheriff’s deputy, as he and his wife rode out the storm inside. The deputy said, “It’s a miracle we are still alive.”

You can feel the heavy hearts and devastation just off County Road 76 in Jones County, where nearly everything that Taylor County Sheriff’s deputy Brandon Gall owns has been left in ruins. 

“I’m just grateful he’s alive – both of them,” said his mother, Becky Gall, who was still in shock after seeing the home, wondering how they made it out alive. “Most people wouldn’t walk away from something like that.”

Brandon and Amanda Gall, however, wondered the same thing come Wednesday morning, as they looked at the piles of rubble which was once their home. 

“We built it from the ground up in two years, and now I have nothing. I mean, everything is gone,” Brandon shared. 

Describing the event, Brandon said once he and his wife was a tornado warning, they rushed outside to round up their dogs. In a windy turn of events, that wouldn’t happen.

“As we were going on the front porch out the front door, the front porch just took off.”

They fell back in the living room floor as the home caved in, “We just held onto each other in the living room floor and prayed that we’d make it.”

Brandon told KTAB/KRBC his home flipped multiple times Tuesday night, causing them to end up in their pond after the home fell apart. Hail, then, pelted them as the couple sheltered each other in the cold wind and rain.

“It sounded like a freight train,” described Brandon. “I mean, it was the scariest moment of my life.”

According to Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service, Mike Castillo, because of the damage and debris, there was no doubt a tornado touched down and came right through the Galls’ home. 

“It took a lot of force for it to lift the building – this structure – off of the cinder blocks,” Castillo explained. “You know, we’re talking about winds equivalent to a weak category three hurricane to lift some of these, you know, cinder blocks up.”

Castillo is working to determine if this weather event was a strong EF1 or a weak EF2 tornado. 

Even though Brandon and Amanda lost everything, they said they are thankful to only have gotten some bruising and cuts needing stitches. 

Becky told KTAB/KRBC she wants to encourage others to learn a valuable lesson before it’s too late, “Hug your children. Call them.”

Brandon’s cousin, Kelly, has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money to get the couple back on their feet. Their goal is $100,000.