Tornado Victims Feel ‘Blessed’ After The Storm
Apr. 15--Steve Marshburn saw the worst and the best to come from Monday's tornado that touched down near Jacksonville.
He had gone into town to find some flooring to put down in his bedroom and was headed back to his home on Haws Run Road when he saw and felt the storm that he learned was a EF1 tornado, which the National Weather Service said moved through area with 100 to 110 mph winds.
The winds were strong enough to blow around his full-size Chevy pickup and the combination of winds and rain swirling made it so Marshburn couldn't see.
"Truthfully, I didn't know what I'd come home to," Marshburn said.
He found the damage he feared with the roof of the mobile home blown off and rain threatening to ruin his belongings.
He immediately pulled up his trailer to start loading what he could into it as the rain was still falling.
It wasn't long after that he found the good to come from the storm.
"I packed my trailer up and started loading things and before you know it I had friends and neighbors helping," Marshburn said. "It was unbelievable; very humbling."
Ashley Ramsey, a family member who lives nearby, said it was great to see the community rally together to help.
"He always puts others before himself and it was really incredible seeing everybody come together to help him during this time of need," Ramsey said. "Before the storm had completely passed people started showing up wanting to know what they could do to help."
With everything loaded into storage Tuesday, Marshburn said he is very fortunate.
Marshburn, who was taking some vacation days from his job with Jones Onslow Electric Membership Corporation, wasn't home when the dangerous storm rolled through Onslow County. And while the travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic may keep insurance adjusters from inspecting the damage right away, Marshburn said he understands.
He was not injured and has a place to stay in the meantime.
"I'm blessed. I had some damage but it could have been a lot worse," he said.
The American Red Cross in Onslow County provided financial assistance to three families that received damage to their homes Monday, two from the Haws Run tornado and another in the Southwest area due to a fire.
"There was a call about a fire and then within about an hour the tornado came through," said Red Cross representative Charlotte Rodriguez.
Rodriguez said the two families impacted by the tornado had fallen trees damage the roof of their home.
One of the families is an adult and child and the other a family of 5.
In each case, the Red Cross has provided assistance to help with lodging and immediate needs while they arrange for a permanent place to stay.
The Red Cross will be available if these families need additional assistance or if there are other families contact them who have been impacted by the tornado.
The Haws Run tornado in Onslow County is one of six confirmed tornadoes to hit the region during the April 13 severe thunderstorms.
The EF1 tornado near Jacksonville was the strongest and the others were weaker EFO tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service forecast office in Newport, which covers a 15-county region in Eastern North Carolina.
The others touched down in Maysville and near Pollocksville in Jones County; Havelock in Craven County; Roper in Washington County and Bayview in Beaufort County.
According to the NWS, the one that touched down about 5 miles southeast of Pollocksville was likely a continuation of the one in Maysville but due to the heavily wooded area between the two locations, survey teams could not reach areas to confirm a continuous path.
The EFO tornadoes left primarily tree and limb damage in Jones and Craven counties.
Reporter Jannette Pippin can be reached at 910-382-2557 or [email protected].
___
(c)2020 The Daily News (Jacksonville, N.C.)
Visit The Daily News (Jacksonville, N.C.) at www.jdnews.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
AM Best Removes Credit Ratings From Under Review With Negative Implications of Universal Group, Inc.’s Property/Casualty Subsidiaries; Maintains Under Review With Negative Implications Status for Credit Ratings of Universal Life Insurance Company
Tornado cleanup ongoing at Brookfield Cemetery
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News