I was working in the neighborhood near Powell Elementary (not too far from Grady & Fawn's). The tornado seemed to follow a path along a creek, taking out the houses on both sides all the way up the ravine. This must have been a gorgeous wooded area. I saw trees blown over, their roots in the air, the trunk diameter more than 3', more than 100' tall. Lots and lots of trees this size. The pines that remained were generally snapped off, maybe 75' in the air.
Imagine an area from Dixie Trail to Meredith College, from Wade to Hillsborough. Now imagine that 1/4 of the houses are completely devastated (sliced in half, crushed, knocked over). Another quarter have the roof bashed in; maybe they can be salvaged. Another quarter have giant trees in their yards, maybe the carport is gone or a back shed. I saw the damage from Fran; this is worse. There simply aren't words.
Swarming over this area are professional tree removal groups, police, firefighters, and hundreds of people wearing orange vests - the volunteers. I worked alongside a couple who drove down from Michigan, a mother and her two kids from Enloe, and six friends and the homeowner. Eight people had already been working 3 hours by the time the family & I arrived. We worked another 1 1/2 hours. All that work and one house - one - was free. And its only damage was a tree on the carport and the storage shed (oh, yes, and foundation damage). Now multiply that by hundreds in this one neighborhood!
Go, spend an hour or two. It will break your heart. It will fill your heart. Death and resurrection.
Imagine an area from Dixie Trail to Meredith College, from Wade to Hillsborough. Now imagine that 1/4 of the houses are completely devastated (sliced in half, crushed, knocked over). Another quarter have the roof bashed in; maybe they can be salvaged. Another quarter have giant trees in their yards, maybe the carport is gone or a back shed. I saw the damage from Fran; this is worse. There simply aren't words.
Swarming over this area are professional tree removal groups, police, firefighters, and hundreds of people wearing orange vests - the volunteers. I worked alongside a couple who drove down from Michigan, a mother and her two kids from Enloe, and six friends and the homeowner. Eight people had already been working 3 hours by the time the family & I arrived. We worked another 1 1/2 hours. All that work and one house - one - was free. And its only damage was a tree on the carport and the storage shed (oh, yes, and foundation damage). Now multiply that by hundreds in this one neighborhood!
Go, spend an hour or two. It will break your heart. It will fill your heart. Death and resurrection.