My Brother Toby

My Brother Levi

Friday 15th May: Author’s choice – Shadows. (It can just be the shadow – or the object or person and their shadow!)

this one you can see Mr. Ac/Dc Shadow and the play set at McDonald’s shadow too.

Pinkie and her shadow eating her cheese hamburger

Me and my Shadow

Friday 22nd May:  Author’s choice – Green (as in environmentally friendly! )

8 hrs ago | 1586 views | 0  | 26  |  | 

slideshow slideshow slideshow

Play | Stop | << Previous | Next >>

Image 3 of 3

This was the scene outside the home of Frank and Anita Suarez on Matthew’s Bluff Road. | Staff photo by Stephanie S. Beecher

LUMBERTON— Weather officials said Monday evening that the early morning storm that seriously injured a Sadie Drive woman, destroying her house and damaging several others, was the result of straight-line winds — not a tornado.

In a press statement, the National Weather Service in Wilmington attributed the extensive damage to a “wet microburst … or localized downburst accompanied by very heavy rain.”

The storm struck the Long Branch Community east of Lumberton at about 8:15 a.m.

Charles Britt, emergency management director of Robeson County Emergency Services, said the storm affected a total of 33 structures, including 15 homes, six storage buildings, eight shelters and one pool.

“The total estimated damage comes to about $813,000,” he said. “But, these are just preliminary reports.”

Ginger Britt, of Sadie Drive, remains the only resident injured. Britt was found under heavy debris, after the storm moved her house off of its foundation and into the back yard before it was flattened.

Family members were able to free her and call 911. Britt was taken to Southeastern Regional Medical Center, where she was in serious condition at noon Monday.

Most of the other residents of the other affected residences were not at home when the heavy weather hit.

The National Weather Service called the damages “consistent with straight-line wind speeds of up to 125 mph,” comparable to a F-2 tornado or a Category 3 hurricane.

Residents were shocked to learn that the storm was not the result of a cyclone.

“If that wasn’t a tornado, I don’t know what to call it,” said Virginia Britt, Ginger Britt’s mother-in-law.

This morning, all that remained of Britt’s home was a hollow brick shell and a front porch. Family members sat on the porch with their heads held in their hands, staring blankly into a sea of rain-soaked debris.

“We are trying to salvage what we can, what furniture we can,” said a weary Elton Britt, Ginger’s father-in-law and her next-door neighbor. “I’m worried mostly about Ginger. She was the only one home. We don’t know how bad it is yet.”

Though Elton and Virginia Britt’s brick home was still standing, it looked more like a trashed theater set, with no roof, half walls and holes where windows had been. About a dozen people sifted through belongings, most of which were covered in yellow insulation.

Elton said he was taking his grandson to school when he received a phone call.

“I knew that when they told me my home was hit that Ginger’s was gone,” Elton said.

He said he and his wife were not prepared for what they found when they returned.

“We turned the corner and I knew she was out there,” Virginia said pointing to the back yard. “I just started running. We didn’t even notice our home was destroyed at first.”

But it didn’t take long, they said.

“Ain’t no coming back home now,” said Elton. “I ain’t got no home.” Virginia said her husband and her lived in the home with their two grandchildren, and that Ginger lived nearby.

Dozens of emergency workers and sheriff’s deputies trampled around the muddy yard, stepping over flooring, broken furniture, and home decor. Soaked sheets and tin roofing had wrapped around tall trees like winter scarves.

Neighbors huddled, shaking their heads and consoling sobbing family members and friends.

Charles Britt said that the Britts’ homes were the hardest hit. Several other homes in the area were severely damaged, he said.

“These are the main structures hit. It completely destroyed the mobile home,” he said. “We have several buildings down, and several outbuildings destroyed. Several trees have fallen on houses.”

A tree took out the bathroom in the home of Frank and Anita Suarez on Matthew’s Bluff Road. Frank Suarez said his family was not at home during the storm.

“We were lucky,” he said.

Dozens of uprooted trees littered the area west of N.C. 72., falling on about four other homes. Most of the structural damage occurred on Sadie Drive.

At about 5 p.m., Elton and Virginia Britt were still cleaning up debris and salvaging belongings. Family members, friends and neighbors stood quietly chatting as a group of children played soccer in insulation-strewn grass. They said the whole situation hasn’t really hit home.

“You’ve seen it happen to other people but you can never imagine it happening to you,” she said. “We’re just numb right now.”

Virginia said the Red Cross has donated money for a hotel stay and for three days worth of food. She said she has been touched by the community’s support.

“Everybody’s been so nice,” she said. “We are just trying to get through this.”

`

Friday 1st May: Tall T’s choice: Future (something that you look forward to in the future, or something that reminds you of the future)

This is something I am looking forward to in the future.

For my near future meeting my unborn baby

Seeing my kids grow up.

(I got these photo online one clubdud.com I did take the photo of the kids)

Buying our 1st  house.

Friday 8th May: Author’s choice: CD/DVD/Album cover (now this one is a bit of a challenge! Choose your favourite CD or DVD or Album cover and reproduce your own photographic representation of it, using your family or yourself as models. You can use any gadgets you want. Have a bit of fun – it’s tongue in cheek so accurate representations aren’t as important as a fun image). Make sure you include a picture of your chosen cover so we can see what you were reproducing! (you may be able to copy one off the Internet)