Published: Apr. 6, 2022 at 11:22 PM EDT
BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - “It sounded like a train”, that’s how people describe the tornado that destroyed their homes in an instant.
“I said ain’t no train coming here after 5pm in Pembroke,” said Rosalind Gillard.
Rosalind Gillard and Ashley Drinkard lived in two of the hardest hit areas of Bryan County – Pembroke and Ellabell.
“There was really no like warning and then all of it happened within like two minutes,”said Ashley Drinkard. “It was gone and then there was just silence.”
Gillard took a moment to look at what’s left of her home.
“Just curled in a ball and stayed there,” she said.
She knew it wasn’t because of luck that she made it out.
“When the tornado came through, I was sitting in my room, reading my bible and I was praying to God...praying for it to pass over,” Gillard said.
Miles down the road, Drinkard was doing the same .
“Mine is completely saturated and I have nothing. Everything’s shattered to pieces,” Drinkard said.
She didn’t think she would survive so she called her mom.
“It was so sad because I gave her a goodbye speech and she said do not hang up the phone,” Drinkard said.
Even while families walk away with baskets of their belongings, they’re still grateful.
“My mom and daddy lived in this house. I got to watch my daughter, her grandchildren, grow up in this house and I’ve been blessed,” Gillard said.
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