- A tornado in Mitchell County destroyed a volunteer fire station and community center, prompting clean-up efforts while officials assess the damage.
- The National Weather Service is surveying the area to determine the tornado's strength, with meteorologist Felecia Bowser confirming it was a tornado but still evaluating its rating.
Despite the destruction, Pebble Baptist Church remained standing, which members call a miracle, while officials urge residents to stay informed about severe weather alerts.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Less than 24 hours after a tornado tore through Pebble City in Mitchell County, neighbors are already in cleanup mode as local officials continue assessing the damage.
Tornado Confirmed by National Weather Service
Felecia Bowser, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Tallahassee, confirmed that a tornado was responsible for the destruction.
"We feel comfortable calling it a tornado. Now we have to assess it to give it a rating," Bowser stated.
She and her team visited the area to examine the extent of the damage. One of the key factors in determining the tornado’s strength is evaluating the structures impacted.
"We have to look at the structure. Was it something that was solidly built, or was it something that was weakly built?" Bowser explained.
Community Landmarks Destroyed
The tornado leveled two major community buildings—a volunteer fire station and a local community center—leaving residents stunned at the devastation. However, just 100 yards away, Pebble Baptist Church remarkably withstood the storm.
Kent Grogan, a longtime member of the church, expressed his amazement at the church’s survival.
"I've been a member here for over 50 years. I think it's a miracle that God spared the church," Grogan said.
Despite the church standing strong, it did sustain some damage.
"We had a steeple on the roof line of the church. The winds moved it a bit on top of the church. We had to remove it because we were having water damage in the church sanctuary," Grogan explained.
Neighbors wasted no time in beginning the recovery process. Volunteers and residents have come together to clean up debris and assess their next steps in rebuilding what was lost.
Bowser emphasized that while the damage is significant, such severe weather is not unusual for this time of year.
"We're basically in the spring season, and this is when we get a lot of severe weather. So, it's not abnormal for some type of outbreak like this to occur," she said.
She also urged residents to stay informed and be prepared for future storms.
"When it comes to severe weather, make sure you have different ways to get the information," Bowser advised.
Next Steps for Mitchell County
County officials plan to use the findings from the NWS survey to apply for federal funding to aid in recovery efforts.
As the community rallies to rebuild, residents remain resilient, leaning on each other for support and hoping for assistance in restoring what was lost.
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