Carroll Co. residents deal with aftermath of EF-1 tornado

CARROLL COUNTY, Tenn. — A tornado that swept through the Cedar Grove area Wednesday night left a massive footprint in the lives of many who live there. WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News spoke with residents about the traumatic experience and where they go from here.

Strong winds, which the National Weather Service later confirmed as an EF-1 tornado, whipped through parts of Carroll County Wednesday night, leaving many residents wondering what is next.

“It was crazy [Wednesday] night trying to get everything together so we can go and not stay here in Cedar Grove,” resident Andrew Castile said. “We had somebody get us a hotel room, and we stayed there overnight.”

Carolyn Brooks’ home was damaged by the tornado. “It’s like someone took a chainsaw and just cut the top of our house off. Everything that was in the attic is gone,” she said.

“Terrifying! I mean, it was awful coming home and seeing all the trees down,” resident Katherin Castile said.

Some of the major damage happened right off U.S. Highway 70 near the Cedar Grove community.

“The cleanup part is going to be a long, drawn-out mess,” Brooks said.

Crews spent the day working to repair Brooks’ house, and less than a mile away several homes on Flat Bottom Road were torn to pieces. Due to the destructive nature of the tornado, trees were uprooted out of the ground and roofs were ripped off homes.

The Castile family said one of their children was home with family when the tornado came through. “I was afraid for them, and her grandmother told me that she was fine and that her grandmother was fine too, but I was still really, really worried,” Katherin Castile said.

Picking up the pieces after a tragedy can be a hard task. Brooks, however, was able to salvage a special message that used to hang in her garden.

“And it says, ‘I have everything under control. Love, God,'” Brooks said. “That was just God reassuring me that everything’s going to be all right. It may take a while, but it’s going to be all right.”

Some residents said they are just thankful to have made it through the storm.

“Just keep praying and just keep believing that everything is going to be OK,” Katherin Castile said.

Carroll County Sheriff Andy Dickson said his department did not receive any reports of injuries.

The American Red Cross was also on scene Wednesday night and Thursday morning assisting victims.