February 16, 2003
Mitchell County- Sirens, puddles, severed tree limbs and debris engulfed Wade Road Sunday morning.
Robert Warren says,"It's a weird feeling." He says this tornado created a morning nightmare. Warren adds, "You don't know what to do, you don't know where to go."
Warren has lived on Wade Road for ten years, and he says the sound of the tornado is something he will never forget.
Warren says, "Everything beating the house, sounds like a bunch of hail."
County Line Firemen were the first to respond. Fireman, Doug Buckner says, "When we got here, we
Merle and Jack Porter have lived on Wade Road for about thirty-seven years, and what they call a tenacious tornado ravaged their home, leaving only broken branches and debris, and what used to be a screened in porch and a french door, now it is shattered glass.
Merle Porter says, "I was going to take a bath and realized something was wrong, and I started praying until it was over."
Jack Porter says his prayers were answered, too. He adds, "I'm just glad she's a live. This other stuff can be replaced."
He can never replace the memories. Porter says, "We lost trees, that I planted and my mother planted way back in the forties."
Now, the clean-up begins and so does the healing, not just for the Porters, but for the entire Wade Road community.
Merle and Jack Porter say they have had tons of support from family and friends, and they will have no problem finding a place to stay for the night.
Posted at 5:10PM by Jocelyn.Maner@walb.com
^ Merle and Jack Porter
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