Storm victims lean on faith as they begin recovering from violent tornado

View The Original Article Here
Homes damaged by tornado on Feb. 16, 2021. (Photo: Sydney Bouchelle/WWAY)

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — An EF-3 tornado tore through southern Brunswick County late Monday night, killing three and injuring 10 people.

Brunswick County Emergency Management says it’s going to be a long process to recover from this devastating storm. WWAY’s Sydney Bouchelle spoke with some who are going through that process and how they are leaning on their faith to get them through it all.

– Advertisement –

Miranda Foose is still shaken up from what happened Monday night.

“There’s a bed up against the wall on that side,” Foose said. “That’s what we were all hidden under.” “This is where the one-year-old boy was sleeping when the wall caved in.”

Food was at home with her roommates and children when a tree crashed into their home.

“I jerked my daughter out of here, picked her up and he threw the bed up. As soon as the mattress went up, we all flew under there. The wind came wailing through, trees came pushing through and that’s what pushed us up against the wall.”

No one was hurt.

“We had a hedge of protection over this house,” she said.

Thanking God and relying on faith rings true a little further down Highway 17 for Pastor Dwight Reeves at Seaside Christian Fellowship.

“Rest in God and just let God support you and comfort you and give you strength through this time,” Reeves said.

The church is tucked behind the Ocean Ridge Plantation neighborhood, which suffered serious devastation from the tornado.

An outdoor area of the church completely collapsed and roofing from half a mile down the road could be seen stuck in the trees.

“I have said before that a building is just a building but we have our lives and that’s the most important thing,” Reeves said.

Reeves says Brunswick County is a resilient community and people will rely on one another to get through this, making the community stronger in the end.