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Lacey's Spring hit by EF-1 tornado

By Elizabeth Gentle - bio | email
Posted by Dana Franks - email

LACEY'S SPRING, AL (WAFF) -- Lacey's Spring in Morgan County was hardest hit by Thursday's severe storms. Forecasters have determined an EF-1 tornado touched down, heavily damaging a mobile home park.

The National Weather Service determined the storm's path during a survey on Friday. Surveyors said the tornado touched down in a field south of Lower Dry Creek Road, causing minor damage to homes.

The storm picked up strength as it crossed Kay Road, slamming into the Sherbrook Mobile Home Park, destroying several trailers.

Stanley Sharp took shelter in his storm pit.

"If I'm in that mobile home and they're hollering 'Severe thunderstorms,' I get up," Sharp said. "I know what they will do."

Violent winds damaged Sharp's mobile home, split trees and destroyed a shed.

Next door, a large oak crushed the car parked in the front yard. A covered front porch across the road was blown down. And irrigation equipment in a sod field was tossed like a toy.

Sharp saw the funnel coming straight at him.

"It was like a train, you know," said Sharp.

The storm picked up energy, crossed Kay Road and moved into the Sherbrook Drive area.

Chris Darden with The National Weather Service surveyed the damage Friday.

"We talked to several residents that have nowhere to live because their mobile homes were severely damaged," Darden said.

The mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. One was crushed into pieces by falling trees.

Yards were littered with limbs, insulation and debris, and roofs are damaged.

Chain saws were working overtime on Friday, as the Red Cross helped neighbors who lost everything.

Nearby, others are busy cleaning up from a storm that could have taken lives if advanced warning hadn't been issued.

"We talked to a lot of folks this morning who say, 'We got the warning, got the family together, put them in a storm shelter and they were safe," Darden said.

Anyone with any tree debris that needs to be moved in Lacey's Spring and wants it to be moved is asked to pile it up on the curb. The Lacey's Spring Volunteer Fire Department will pick it up.

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