Despite the recent tornadoes killing dozens and causing considerable damage, hope is alive in this region, where neighbors lean on faith and lend a hand to each other during the recovery while the invisible threat of COVID-19 looms in the background.
Gannett staff writersShe couldn’t see, but she heard everything as debris pelted the brick facade of her mother’s home. She ran to her mother’s room, grabbed her, and sought shelter in a doorway as the tornado battered South Oak Street in downtown Seneca.
For many, they are deciding what can be done right now: get a tree off the roof, find the family dog, clear debris from the driveway, file an insurance claim, book a hotel room, hug someone. From there, Scott doesn’t know where they’ll sleep. Thankfully, her boss at parts manufacturer Nason told her she has a paycheck for the next few weeks, and they’ll help her find a place to stay.
In Hampton County, a tornado as wide as 13 football fields killed five and injured at least 60 in this rural area near the Georgia border. The violent winds, reaching 165 mph, threw a home across a field in Nixville. The Breland family inside – Donna, Jim and daughter Kayla – died.As the news spread through the county of 20,000, hundreds drove to the Breland's neighborhood. They showed up with chainsaws to help clear the dozens of felled trees.
All that mattered was that the home Hoover Brunson, 77, has lived in since 1959 was destroyed. Her niece was one of the two who died in Orangeburg County as a result of Monday morning’s tornadoes, she said. The couple’s backyard is filled with debris, roofing, children's clothes and toys – where a garage once stood.
They finally got power back Wednesday morning, the last ones on their street. Mavins has kept busy cleaning the backyard. They’ve talked to their landlord and insurance companies about next steps.
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