Tornado touches down in Bladen County

A tornado watch Monday morning in Bladen County quickly turned into the real thing. Residents of homes destroyed by the twister are already busy picking up the pieces.

“As soon as I opened the door, the wind just took me in, and knocked me on the floor. I saw my aunt sitting at the table, gripping the table with her eyes closed,” said tornado victim Jermaine Fleming.

“I’ve never heard anything that loud, or anything do that damage that this did,” said witness Cotton Moore.

The tornado was so powerful it knocked a house off its foundation, and shifted it back about ten feet.

Recovering from a hit like this takes time. Residents are now working with local relief agencies to help soften the blow.

The National Weather Service is classifying this tornado as an F-2, which is for tornadoes with wind speeds up to 115 miles per hour.