Mullica Hill Residents 'Floored' By Generosity As Cleanup Begins Following EF-3 Tornado
MULLICA HILL, N.J. (CBS) -- In Mullica Hill, the cleanup process has started. Residents are sorting through the damage and debris left behind after Wednesday's EF-3 tornado.
A massive funnel cloud ripped through Mullica Hill Wednesday. Video captured debris flying all over the place.
The tornado leveled everything in its path, including a home on Salvatore Drive. Not even a wall is left standing.
Another home across the way was ripped apart. Joseph Battaglia's shed landed in the pool.
"I am just so thankful everyone is OK," Battaglia said.
The moment the tornado touched down, the community was ready within seconds to pick everyone back up.
Alexandra Benas owns The Cake Boutique and her family owns the Harrison House.
"I just thought of myself. I want coffee in the morning, I want breakfast and I want a little normalcy so my brother at the diner, we made three dozen breakfast sandwiches, things like that, and just took it to the one neighborhood," Benas said.
They then started to collect donations and couldn't believe the generosity.
"I am still floored by how many people are still calling, how many people brought bags of used stuff, bags and bags of new stuff. They went to the store and brought everything that was on that list," Benas said.
The co-owners of Naples stepped in too, and started cooking right away. They brought their food truck to neighborhoods and offered meals to anyone in need, even emergency responders.
"You are giving somebody something that they appreciate because they are standing in front of a house that has been flattened," Naples co-owner Anthony Romeo said.
Battaglia says it's the help they all need right now.
"I knew we would get through this with the people that we live with in the area. We are going to rebuild, we are going to be stronger and the community will be tighter even more than what it is now," Battaglia said.
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