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Local Residents Discuss Friday Storm Damage

Posted: 11:06 AM Jun 30, 2012

"I never expected anything like this to hit here," says Lisa Marshall of Winchester. "I've lived here 17 years and never seen a storm like this."

Marshall was at home watching a movie with her family Friday night.

She was surprised by what happened next.

"I didn't even know there was a storm coming. We just started hearing some rattling on our windows and it sounded like someone was in our attic," says Marshall. "All of a sudden we realized the wind was just blowing like crazy and next thing we know, we just heard this 'Boom.'"

That boom was a tree falling down in front of her house.

Marshall spent much of her life living in Tornado Alley in Alabama, but says these winds were unlike anything she's seen.

"We don't have this many big beautiful trees, so you don't have the damage like we see today," she says. "I have never experienced the wind like that down there."

Charlie Robinson, Marshall's neighbor, agrees.

"I've lived in Winchester all my life, which is 50-plus years, and I've never seen a storm like this," says Robinson. "I've seen heavier rains, longer rains, more prolonged winds, but nothing so sudden and hard-hitting that did so much damage."

Marshall's house lost power in the storm. She says the house heated up fast without air conditioning.

She's taking precautionary steps as she goes forward.

"With no power, I'm telling my kids not to open the refrigerator, especially since we just went to the grocery store," she says. "Let's try to keep everything cool and keep our fingers crossed somebody will be by to get our power back on."