As we approach the somber, first anniversary of the EF4 tornado that tore apart parts of Garland, restoration efforts continue.

The tornado toppled parts of the Landmark at Lake Village West Apartments leaving almost every unit with damage and destroyed others.

In the days leading up to the Dec. 26 anniversary, work crews put the finishing touches on the last of the damaged apartment buildings.

“We started the project going in and remodeling these units and fixing the units that had been damaged for the tenants and we’re just about done,” David Reyna of EMJ Plumbing said during a project. “We have one building left here.”

Reyna remembered vividly how much devastation his team found when they first arrived.

“The roofs blown off, water damage everywhere. There were still people’s contents in there. I mean, it was pretty bad,” Reyna said.

Many of the buildings were simply not salvageable.

“There was 15 that they demolished back by the highway,” Reyna added.

Reyna is also a Garland residents and said working to help rebuild parts of the city has helped him heal as well.

“It helps us because we know what we’ve done is helping people out and that’s the satisfaction of getting this done,” he said. “There were a lot of units in here and a lot of people without homes."