GREENSBORO, N.C. — The images of destruction from the tornado all around the eastern side of the City of Greensboro and parts of Rockingham County are still hard to comprehend. Damage and debris still covered neighborhoods in the city more than a week after a tornado.
The Sunday, April 15 tornado carved a 30-mile path of destruction through the Triad. It could take years for some families to recover and there is every likelihood life may never be the same for many of them. Volunteers are still canvassing the affected areas to offer assistance.
Rosa McNeil, a volunteer from New Life Baptist Church on Willow Road was putting fliers on doors of tornado damaged homes. The church is offering 3 square meals every day to people at no cost.
"We love our people and we love our community and it's what God would want us to do, to help each other," said McNeil. Like her, members of the community are reaching out in different ways and offering assistance to tornado victims where needed.
"The houses behind me, they split in half and all their insulation and furniture all winded up in this yard right here," recalled Darryl Smith. Several large trees in his yard also came crashing down on his home and cars.
Volunteers like McNeil helped him clean up his damage and the debris from other homes that landed on his property.
"They were just popping from all over the place. Greensboro really stepped up on this storm, especially on the Eastside. People from all over, some of them I knew and some of them I didn't know," said Smith. Smith now has tarps protecting his home from the rain until repair crews arrived.
"They were going to start working this past Monday but we had rain all week so I figure it will probably be another week and you'll see crews taking off roofs and starting the whole process all over again," said Smith.
As McNeil continued canvassing the neighborhood, awed by the destruction, she expressed that it reinforced her faith.
"It could have been worse but God saw it fit to give us this and spare our lives," McNeil concluded.
Smith said his quick thinking wife rescued their baby and headed for the bathroom just before the trees came down. He is also thankful he and his family survived the storm and he's looking ahead to the long and slow rebuilding process.