Overnight storms damage Weatherford's Texas Pythian Home

WEATHERFORD, Texas - The storms overnight Sunday caused scattered damage across North Texas.

Plans for a camp at the Texas Pythian Home in Weatherford had to change after strong winds blew in windows at the auditorium, then rain blew in and cause more damage.

Strong straight line winds blew out windows at the historic building. The staff says the home has extensive damage.

For almost 100 kids, dreams of one last summer camp before school were shattered by overnight storms.

The auditorium is used for the summer camp, where more than 100 students were scheduled to arrive on Monday. But the night before, the auditorium floor had two inches of rain water.

"This floor flooded,” explained Kristin Watson with the organization. “It seeped through and got into our dining room and started deteriorating the tiles in the ceiling."

It also affects the children who live there. Besides the summer camp, the Texas Pythian Home keeps 13 children of parents who are struggling to care for them.

"We're completely voluntary,” said Holly Boyer, the organization’s assistant administrator. “So when they bring us their kids, it's with the understanding that as soon as they're back on their feet and able to care for them they can come back to get them."

The windows are 30 years old, but the frames date back 108 years. It will take weeks and thousands of dollars to make repairs.

There's one other casualty from the storm. A wedding was planned in one of the halls on Saturday.

"Unfortunately, a bride-to-be has to find a new wedding venue at last minute,” Watson said.

The Texas Pythian home has the distinctive design of a castle. The 108-year-old building is marked as a historical site in Texas.

The home has to have a state license but gets all of its funding from the fraternal organization, Knights of Pythias, and from donations.