“We heard the whistle,” said Jackson, 30. “… We heard the noise and ran to his room, and the wall and everything fell on us.” “Everything” was the whole house, crushed late Tuesday afternoon by the overturning of pecan trees as a series of intense storms were running in the southeast. More than 38 tornadoes were reported during the day, with particularly devastating turns hitting Georgia and South Carolina. In Pembroke, about 30 miles west of Savannah, Jackson and Bostick struggled to breathe under the rubble, but managed to cry out for help. Bostick’s father came to their rescue shortly afterwards. “The house was destroyed,” said Harry Bostik, an elder who lives within walking distance of his son. Bostick said he was able to find his son when he saw his hand coming out of the rubble. “Only the fingers,” he said, “but as I continued to lift the boards, I saw my son’s whole arm. His hand rose. And then I helped get them out. “ Deadly storms tore southeast, launching devastating tornadoes Bostick’s son and fiancée suffered only injuries and bruises. The house next door was also demolished, but a woman inside survived. Not everyone was so lucky. At least one death was reported in the Pembroke area on Tuesday. A woman in her 60s near Ellabell died inside her home and eight others were injured. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) investigated the damage Wednesday as another storm threatened the area. He said Tuesday could be much worse. “This storm, from what we see and now learn, was what we feared most,” Kemp said. “It was an emerging, catastrophic tornado. The only good thing that happened last night was that he did not stay on the ground. He was going up and down, bouncing. “ “We are blessed that it was not a prolonged on-site event,” he added. As of Wednesday afternoon, many roads in Pembroke and Ellabell remained closed as power crews worked to restore lines and services. The strong smell of freshly cut trees, with their backs broken, hung in the air. The small part of the house where Jackson and Bostik lived is in the shadow of Brian County Courthouse. The storm cut off part of its roof and tore down a flagpole and two historic landmarks. Lieutenant Joseph Waters, a court-supervising security guard, was guarding the front door when the tornado struck. The courthouse was damaged by wind and water. “I never thought it would happen here,” Waters said. He said there was no indication when things would return to normal. It was too early for that. The county continued to assess the damage and secure facilities and neighborhoods. Waters worked for the sheriff’s office for 28 years, long enough to remember a previous tornado in 1998. “The trails were a little different,” he said, but the same main area, “maybe about a mile to the left or right of where he went last night.” Less than a quarter of a mile from the courthouse, Marilee Hassani, 71, and her husband, Joseph, 69, live in a picturesque gray house on South College Street. Their storm tore the chimney and a front pillar. On Wednesday, two rocking chairs sat in the yard. “It sounded like a freight train coming at us,” Hassani said. “We ended up in the hallway and trees were hitting the house. . It was horrible. “He said the worst of it lasted about five minutes.” I thought the house would be demolished. “ “It was like a revelation,” said her husband, a former contractor. “Bloody, bad, loud noise. Things that hit, scratch. . I was actually physically cold, scared. “I could not even react.” He said he heard local warnings about the weather, but within 20 minutes the tornado was on them. They escaped the danger without a scratch. Amid worries about the next round of storms, Jackson and Bostik were picking up what they had saved in baskets and boxes. They headed to a school that had become a law enforcement site and numerous government agencies, and a place to receive donation supplies. A tattoo was inked on her left forearm. “Until my last day,” he wrote.
