Residents say tornado ripped through Decaturville

UPDATE — The National Weather Service on Tuesday confirmed an EF-1 tornado occurred Monday in Decaturville. See the update here.

Original story:

DECATURVILLE, Tenn. — A frightening sound sends residents of Decaturville seeking shelter after they say a tornado slammed into the area Monday.

“These are dangerous,” resident Cecil Walker said.

A flattened mobile home, broken trees and downed power lines are among the damage after the storm swept across the area.

Officials said no one was injured in the storm.

“I ducked in the house and told my wife to get my grandson and get in the floor with him and cover him with pillows,” Walker said.

Walker said he has lived on Brooksie Thompson Road for more than two decades and that he cannot remember a storm this bad.

“I heard a bunch of them go over that didn’t touch down, and you pretty well remember the sound from them and you know it’s a tornado when it goes over. It has that certain roar about it,” Walker said.

The storm knocked out power across the area. Walker said it is something nothing can prepare you for.

“We had been watching for it and we had been warned it was coming, and I was sitting out on the front and I could tell when it hit the trees at the end of the house and stuff started flying around,” Walker said.

“I hear all the time on TV it sounds like a train. Well, that’s a pretty good description of it. It’s a whirling sound,” Walker said.

As the storm hit, he says his family’s safety was his primary concern.

“Their safety is the main thing,” Walker said. “I wasn’t worried about myself — I was worried about them, and I wanted to make sure my little grandson didn’t get skinned up.”

Crews on scene said they will be working into the night to clear trees and restore power to the area.