Officials assess while victims try to recover

<chron>April 30--ATHENS -- Johnny Hughes and his family were soaking wet at tornado-ravaged Billy Barb Trailer Park when a school bus pulled up about 10 p.m. Monday.

The bus took Hughes, his wife and daughter to Central Church of Christ on U.S. 31 in Athens, which was serving as a shelter from the storm.

"I had no idea what we were going to do," Hughes said Tuesday. "We lost everything except possibly my truck. I'm real shaken, but thank God we're OK."

Officials began assessing the damage Tuesday while the victims began recovery. They said they believe three tornadoes went through west Limestone County, killing two people and leaving a path of damage roughly 13 1/2 miles long and about 4 miles wide from Bayhill Marina to west Athens.

Limestone County Coroner Mike West said Dorothy Jean Hollis, 60, and her son, Carlton Earl Hollis, 34, were killed in Billy Barb Trailer Park on U.S. 72 in Coxey. Spry-Williams Funeral Home in Florence is handling arrangements.

Betsy Harris, of Athens-Limestone Hospital, said her facility treated 17 people with injuries and two were admitted. An unknown number were sent to Eliza Memorial Coffee Hospital in Florence.

National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Nadler and his team drove through the debris Tuesday to evaluate the damage. His unofficial observation is a high-end EF2 or low-end EF3 tornado with 140 mph winds stayed on the ground about 7 miles. This was the tornado that killed the two people at the trailer park.

Nadler said a tornado that didn't touch down or winds from a nearby tornado did the damage in western Athens near West Market Street, Alabama 99 and Hine Street. Major damage to homes in that area was from large falling trees. Crews were working to clear roads Tuesday.

A large tree fell on Chris Stone'sWest Market Street home.

"We're cleaning up enough inside so the insurance adjuster can look at it," Stone said.

Stone said he and his family will split time between his lake house and his aunt's home until their living situation is settled.

Seventh Avenue resident Nick Keenum said his home was scheduled to be up for sale Tuesday -- before a 30-foot tree fell on it. Now he's hoping the insurance adjuster will declare it totaled.

"We're lucky none of us were here," Keenum said. "We will move to Elkmont when we decide what to do with this house."

Four teams of American Red Cross volunteers and Limestone County Emergency Management Agency employees are evaluating the damage for a financial assessment to submit for state and federal disaster aid.

"It will be a few days before we have an estimate," EMA Director Rita White said.

Limestone County Superintendent Thomas Sisk said the storm did about $250,000 in roof and interior damage to Blue Springs Elementary School.

Athens Utilities estimated at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday that 5,900 AU customers remained without electricity.

A command center was set up at Blue Springs. Volunteers and employees from nearby counties descended on the area to help recovery.

The Red Cross sheltered 21 victims at Central Church of Christ on Monday night, White said.

Gene Mitchell, of the Red Cross, said the shelter would remain open until everyone leaves or is situated in a hotel.

While his mother Milinea Wineinger knitted, Rodger Wineinger pondered their future after their home on Blackburn Road was damaged.

"We will stay until I can fix my mobile home or the shelter closes. It's a nice place, " Wineinger said.

Bayne Hughes can be reached at 256-340-2432 or hughes@decaturdaily.com. Follow on Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.

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