Posted on 04/16/2011 12:42:36 PM PDT by janetjanet998
What a day yesterday - but everyone is safe here and that’s what counts!
Gloucester and Middlesex Counties in VA took massive damage from at least one tornado last night. 3 dead and 60+ injured. Teams are assessing damage extent today. This is within 10 miles up Rt 17 from us. Many roads are closed off; hundreds of trees down.
No, I wasn't saying you were unclear. My post was intended as a follow-up to your post that door-to-door searches in the rubble of Bertie County were taking place. Alas, the damage and death was as bad as your information implied.
Odd that various news sources had sharply different fatality counts for so long. xjesa reported shortly after 1 AM that the count in NC was 24, yet up to 7:30 AM, major radio stations and newspapers in Raleigh and Charlotte were saying 8 to 10 had died. Most are now saying 22 (down from 24), but I'm sure they're still searching through destroyed houses and buildings.
Hard to find good news here, but there is a piece of it: A Lowe's home improvement "big box" store in Sanford was almost completely destroyed -- but despite many customers who were no doubt there, it being Saturday, probably their biggest sales day, there appear to have been no fatalities. Store workers saw the tornado (if not the actual funnel, then a wall of airborne debris) moving toward the store, and herded all customers and staff into the back of the store, away from the glass front. Evidently, enough of the roof along the back wall held, though most of the store seems to have been flattened. A miracle, a great job by the staff, or a bit of both.
Here is the link to the morning paper.
http://fayobserver.com/articles/2011/04/16/1087211?sac=Home
It went by hitting the subdivisions along the southern edge of Ft Bragg - Lagrange, Summerhill, Cottonade, then over to Bonnie Doone, Eurika Springs and then over to Ramsey St.
The wife was dropping off one of the kids friends in King’s Grant when it hit. They were about 1/4 mile - maybe from the tornado and a tree was knocked over in the yard as they were pulling out of the driveway. They turned south on Ramsey and didn’t know what a close call they had until we started listening to the scanner.
We never lost power but it blinked a few times. Time Warner went out though as soon as the tornado hit. Lost phone, cable and internet until just a bit ago.
I just now got off the phone with my son. He and wife did well; they have power now. He was telling me about the amazing damage the tornados did, though. I’ve seen the destructive nature of these storms all my life. It never ceases to instill a sense of awe.
Weather Channel just confirmed 24.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Death toll rises to 39 from storms
The death toll from three days of severe storms and tornadoes in the southern United States rose to at least 39 on Sunday, with hundreds of homes damaged or destroyed in North Carolina alone, weather and emergency officials said.
and then this:
04/17/2011 @ 1: PM Roy Lee Stone (61) W/M of 2791 Poplar Springs Ch. Rd. Sanford and Larry Gray Knight Sr. (54) W/M of 2806 Lemon Springs Rd. Sanford were both arrested for stealing jewelry from a home that was destroyed by the tornado at 520 Polar Springs Ch. Rd. Deputies confronted the two after observing them walking through the debris at 520 Polar Springs Ch. Rd. The jewelry was identified by James Pope of 520 Poplar Springs Rd. Sanford. The jewelry was valued at over $15,000. Both Knight and Stone were held under $30,000 secured bond.
Along with photos of the perps.
Glad your family is ok. Joining you in the sense of awe.
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