San Antonio Chevy experts discuss viral video showing tornado-spun Texas truck

Twitter user Marcus Reynolds says he was able to help the driver, who he says was about 16 to 17-years old. Neither Emfinger nor Reynolds could be reached for comment, but the latter, who is a weather photographer, says he let the driver use his phone to call his parents. He says the teen had “just a cut on his arm.” 

“All of the glass was broken out of his truck, I assume (his phone) fell out at some point because he couldn’t find it,” Reynolds tells another person online. 

April Ancira, Vice President for Ancira Auto Group, says everyone at her dealerships has been talking about the video. By looking at the clip, her team believes it to be a 2004 Silverado 1500. 

“Literally everyone has discussed it today,” she says. “No shortages of video shares, tags, and sharing with customers.”. 

While the internet is in disbelief over the endurance of the truck, Ancira isn’t surprised. 

“Of course not,” she says. “Chevys are built ‘like a rock'” 

Emfinger’s original video has been edited to include “Like a Rock,” the Bob Seger song used in Chevy ads throughout the 1980s and 1990s. More responses drew parallels between the Elgin video and the movie Twister. Other online onlookers are saying the video is symbolic of Texas toughness. 

“While we are all having fun talking about it, that had to be a scary moment for whomever was in that vehicle,” she says. “I am 100% sure that the Chevy has some scrapes and bruises that could use some body work. However, if it’s not too bad, the owner may want to keep those scratches as a badge of honor. I would also suggest the owner buy a lottery ticket or head to Vegas.” 

Though the video is stunning thousands of people in Texas and beyond, the severity of Monday’s weather cannot be reduced to a meme or viral video. On Tuesday, March 22, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a disaster declaration for 16 Texas counties that were hit by the tornadoes and hail. Of the 23 tornado reports on Monday, all but one were in Texas. The disaster declaration includes Bastrop (the county that encompasses Elgin), Cass, Cooke, Grayson, Guadalupe, Houston, Jack, Madison, Marion, Montague, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Upshur, Williamson, and Wise.

On Tuesday, Eric Platt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Austin and San Antonio office, says teams are in the field surveying the damage. He says the closest team to San Antonio is in Seguin and Kingsbury. Platt says the dispatch is in response to reports of circulation there and a tornado warning that was issued for the area. A tornado watch was issued for Bexar, but he says there were no tornadoes in San Antonio. 

“It was close,” Platt says. “Right next door there were warnings for Guadalupe County, but none for Bexar.”