Mother Nature's Wrath-March 3, 2019 Tornado

March 3, 2019 our Hunt Camp in Lumpkin, Ga was hit by a tornado.  There were 14 RV's set up and only 4-1/2 survived.  Blessed that two of them were ours.  What are the chances?

Both our Puma and our remodeled Resort travel trailers were there, sitting next to each other, a little crooked from when we left them but overall intact and in good condition.  Why would our two survive and ALL the others not?

More than anything we are so thankful that no one was at the Hunt Camp during the storm.  We considered going up on Saturday for Spring Break to work on extending our porch but changed our minds at the last minute.

We first got the call Sunday evening after leaving Church telling us that a tornado leveled our camp.  We were sad to think of all the memories of our campers were gone but besides sentimental there was nothing there for us to be upset at loosing.  Later that evening we started receiving photo that showed the total destruction of the campers.  Nothing was left, no camper, no pre-engineered steel buildings over them, nothing but cleared land and mangled tin.  Then we received a photo of our two campers still standing right in the middle of a war zone.  OURS! Such relief washed over us knowing that even if it was damaged, they were both still standing.  On both sides of us all the the campers were gone.

The 6 hour drive from Florida to Georgia and it was one of the longest rides of my life.  Once getting about a mile from our camp the destruction started.  Mangled tin in the trees, insulation waving off the fences, trees naked from any leaves and some without bark.  The scenery of the destruction got worse the closer we got to our camp.  The photos we received from neighbors could not even start to show the destruction.  It looked like a bomb went off .  Everything was flattened, gone, shredded.

The neighboring farmer's house, barn and farm equipment were destroyed.  It was heartbreaking seeing all the destruction.

It's odd all the emotions that roll over you.  Guilt was one of the hardest because you ask why our was left while everyone else is in the cotton field looking for clothing, guns, shoes and household items.

Camper #1:  Fifth Wheel turned upside down dropped 30' away.  Pushed against pole barn.

Camper #2: Gone, no frame or camper to be found.  No contents were found either.

Camper #3: Gone, no frame or contents found.

Cook house & Bathrooms: Roof gone.

Camper #4, #5, #6:  Frames found mangled, parts of campers found 1/2 mile away.  Mattress found 1 mile away.  Boots, guns, clothing found along the far treeline.

All three of these campers were less than 6 months old, brand new and set on concrete pads under a pre-engineered structure covered.

Camper #8:  Camper still intact, broken window, roof over destroyed and aluminum siding damaged.

Camper #9:  We found that they took their camper home to do some traveling.  Their cover and porch were destroyed.

Camper #10: Our Puma!  Still standing a little off the blocks, cover missing, front porch and cover are intact, slide out cover damaged but standing.

Camper #11: The Resort!  Minor damage from debris (2 gashes in siding), camper front 3' off the ground with camper #12 porch under, moved 12" back & 12" to the left.  Roof-over destroyed.  Porch still intact.

Camper #12: Flipped on it's side, turned 180 degrees and moved 20'.  Roof-over and porch gone,

Unable to retrieve belongings, they had to flip the camper upright.  The frame came upright, the rest of camper came off the frame.

Scavenging for what is left

Look what they found, still America Proud!

Picnic table embedded into the roof

 Camper #13: Flipped on it's side,

Up-righting the camper had a better outcome than #12's.  This one stayed intact.

BBQ Grill embedded into the side of the camper. Cooking tongs still hanging on the handle, unbent.

Camper #14:  Moved off leveling blocks, roof-over gone, refrigerator blown into yard but not those stacking chairs or igoo cooler or furniture.

We're hoping that the clean-up will be done within the next month and then rebuilding the water and electrical system will get started.  It's hard to rebuild without water & electric.  It will probably be next year before the cookhouse/bathhouse will get worked on.

I am thankful that no one was hurt and everything that was destroyed can be replaced.

I'll update on the progress of the clean-up and the rebuild.

Until next time................

Bonnie