Tornado Survivors Clean Up, Teams Assess Damage

Caldwell Co, NC — The National Weather Service team finished surveying storm damage Tuesday, and confirmed three tornadoes touched down in Burke, Cleveland and Caldwell Counties on Sunday.

In Caldwell County, the sound of chainsaws echoed across Hudson.

Behind one of those, was Matt Woods.

“You see your neighbors, and you wanna go over there and help them because you know them. We’ve lived here all our lives. You want to help them, reach out the hand, but you’ve also got your own problems,” said Woods.

Around here, He’s Deputy Woods and a former firefighter. Sunday night, he was warning others to take shelter while the tornado was about to rip through his home.

“I saw the rotation, and I knew it was too late,” said Woods.

His brother, Alex Woods, sister-in-law and their four children were inside. They escaped minutes before it hit.

“It’s terrifying,” said Alex Woods. “I mean, it’s definitely a humbling experience.”

The National Weather Service confirmed an EF one touched down in Cleveland County. The teams says an EF zero hit in Cleveland County in Polkville. In Burke County, an EF one hit Connelly Spirngs.

“We’re trying to map what we saw on radar during an event to what actually happened in real life, and that’s how we learn about the storms to better do warnings in the future,” said Jake Wimberley with the National Weather Service.

“Anytime we can give advance warning to, not only emergency responders but to the public, it obviously saves lives and decreases response time,” said Caldwell County Emergency Services Director Dino Dibernardi.

Dibernardi says the tornado caused damage to 101 buildings and homes in Caldwell County. One person was injured during clean up so far.

“We take it in strides,” said Matt Woods.

He didn’t have insurance. It just lapsed, and he was going to renew it Monday. It was too late. Now, he will have to rebuild himself.

“If you try to find joy in items and things and houses and cars, your joy can be gone very quickly,” said Matt Woods. “Take joy in family. Take joy in time to love them and cherish them.”