‘I tried to do CPR, but she was already gone’ | Family remembers woman killed in Brazoria County tornado

HOUSTON — Family members have identified the woman killed by a tornado in Brazoria County.

Official storm reports indicate the EF-2 tornado moved from the southwest end of County Road 172 to the eastern edge of Hillcrest, with a path length of 8.8 miles, destroying several structures in its path.

Loved ones said Jamie Brown, 46, died in the tornado after the storm ripped through the family’s property near County Road 191 and Highway 35.

Stafnie Brown, Jamie’s wife, told KHOU 11 News that they moved to the Alvin area in August to help take care of Stafnie’s mother. Jamie, Stafnie and Stafnie’s mother lived in a red house on the property, while Stafnie’s brother and his family lived in the main, modular house.

Stafnie said Jamie was in the modular house making lunch when the tornado hit.

“I guess my mom’s house hit their house, and it kind of knocked it off, and I guess the tornado picked it up. Based on what I understand, it picked it up whole, threw it over there, dropped and exploded,” Stafnie said.

Stafnie said the modular home, with Jamie still inside, was tossed more than 100 feet away. Stafnie ran toward the wreckage to try and find her wife.

“I searched and I searched and I hollered, and I searched and I hollered,” Stafnie said. “I walked that way, and that’s when I found her.”

Jamie was dead when Stafnie discovered her body.

“I tried to do CPR, but she was already gone. She got pummeled by stuff and the house,” Stafnie said.

Stafnie said she is still processing Jamie’s death. The two had been married for six years and shared countless memories together – memories that Stafnie is now clinging to.

“I can’t put it together. It’s still not. I still think I’m going to wake up in the middle of the night and she’s there, or she’s going to come walking through the door or whatever, but it’s not going to happen,” Stafnie said.

Billy Foster, Stafnie’s brother, his wife Erica Ackerman and their two kids lived in the modular home, but none of them were there when the tornado came through. All that is left of their home is its base and the wooden stairs that lead up to it.

“Our house is now behind the neighbor’s house, completely shredded to nothing,” Billy said. “We don’t even know what we’re going to do. We have insurance. But the last two storms we’ve had, Hurricane Harvey and all that, our insurance refused to help us.”

The kindness of neighbors is helping all six displaced family members stay in a hotel until Jan. 1. But after that, the future is unclear.

“Made it through three hurricanes, and a tornado came and took everything,” Erica said. “It still doesn’t even feel real. It does but it doesn’t, and it’s still trying to process everything.”

The family said the American Red Cross came to the property and got their information and said they would contact them in a few days. In the meantime, the family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help them get through this difficult time.

Four other people were hurt in Saturday’s storms, but officials said they were all non-life-threatening injuries and everyone is expected to be okay.

The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office said at least 40 structures were impacted by the tornado, including at least 30 homes. The other impacted structures were businesses, including a daycare, and Walt Disney Elementary School – which is a total loss.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said the Red Cross and the Texas Division of Emergency Management are currently working on full damage assessments.