Texas town rebuilds through faith, persistence—and help

MATADOR NINET Y DAYS LATER

  • THEMATADORHOME, above, of longtime residents Jim and Judy Cooper was among those destroyed in the powerful June 21 tornado. | PHOTO PROVIDED BY CODY COOPER
    THEMATADORHOME, above, of longtime residents Jim and Judy Cooper was among those destroyed in the powerful June 21 tornado. | PHOTO PROVIDED BY CODY COOPER
  • THE MORNING AFTER an EF3 tornado struck population–571 Matador, volunteers left their own hometowns and headed to Motley County to assist with tasks from moving livestock to handingoutfoodandwaterintheTexasheat. | LIZADAMSPHOTO
    THE MORNING AFTER an EF3 tornado struck population–571 Matador, volunteers left their own hometowns and headed to Motley County to assist with tasks from moving livestock to handingoutfoodandwaterintheTexasheat. | LIZADAMSPHOTO
  • AMONG MANGLED METAL ROOFS and crushed vehicles, Matador residents figured out solutions for basic needs—and many volunteers came to help as well. | PHOTO PROVIDED BY CODY COOPER
    AMONG MANGLED METAL ROOFS and crushed vehicles, Matador residents figured out solutions for basic needs—and many volunteers came to help as well. | PHOTO PROVIDED BY CODY COOPER
  • PICKING UP THE PIECES The Matador Ranch historical marker, which stood in the roadside park south of down before the storm, was broken — and the pieces almost discarded. Today the shards lie on the carpet in a room of the Motley County Historical Museum. The county hopes to install a new one—with updated information. | CAPROCK COURIER
    PICKING UP THE PIECES The Matador Ranch historical marker, which stood in the roadside park south of down before the storm, was broken — and the pieces almost discarded. Today the shards lie on the carpet in a room of the Motley County Historical Museum. The county hopes to install a new one—with updated information. | CAPROCK COURIER
“God was definitely watching over us,” said Cody Cooper of Matador, Texas, who arrived at the front entrance of his parents’ home the evening of June 21, 2023, only minutes before it took a direct hit from a violent EF-3 tornado. His sentiment has been a common theme throughout rural Motley County—and beyond, as the storm also tore through multiple counties to the southeast, with multiple…

To access content, please login or purchase a subscription.