By BECKY CRISSMAN
becky.crissman@gaflnews.com
WILCOX — Residents of two homes here will begin the process of starting over after straight-line winds hit the west corner of the county leveling one man’s mobile home and seriously damaging a two-story house.
“This was the most extensive damage we’ve seen in the area,” said Wilcox EMA director Larry Brown. “It is very fortunate that on one got hurt.”
Mike Thompson, who lived in the Owensboro Rd. mobile home that was destroyed, had left his home to go to a nearby house and wait out the storm. He had been gone only about an hour when his home was leveled.
According to Brown, the residents of the damaged home, Jimmy and Jan Crawford were at home when the storm hit.
In an interview with 13-WMAZ, Jan Crawford spoke of the experience as one she will never forget.
“The windows started cracking and breaking,” she said. “The wind was forceful and coming through the house. I could only hold the hallway door until it blew over because I could not stand up.”
During the interview Crawford went on to say how grateful she was that she and her husband were on the opposite side of the home that suffered less damage. She added that material possessions could be replaced.
“It is just amazing what the winds can do,” Brown said. “It is just good no one was hurt.”
Crawford said that she and her husband do plan to rebuild, but are unsure whether it will be on the same property. They suffered the loss of a dairy farm and carport when a tornado hit the area in 2007.
“I think through the weather station, 911, and EMS everybody was well informed,” Brown said, “allowing them to become better prepared.
“We had some trees down and a few power outages. One irrigation pivot was tipped over, but we were very fortunate.”
