Montgomery County Community To Help Those In Need Following EF-2 Tornado Damage
MONTGOMERY COUNTY (CBS) -- Just days after an EF-2 tornado devastated parts of Montgomery County, the community is stepping up to help those who lost everything.
It's been three days nearly to the minute after the tornado barreled through Stuart Creek Farms, destroying a majority of the 156 townhomes there.
At every turn, you can see the path this twister took: a truck flipped from across the parking lot, trees snapped and were tossed like toothpicks, and roofs ripped off with shells of homes left behind.
Despite these images of a total loss, we also saw pictures of hope in the businesses and people helping one another heal on Saturday.
"It just took and went out the front door," John Lang said.
That is how Stuart Creek Farm's resident John Lang described being sucked out of his front door as an EF-2 tornado tour ripped through his Upper Dublin community.
"I came out and was tripping and so literally everything is happening," Lang said. "And I just grabbed on to here."
Just feet away, his blue truck barreled toward him as trees and debris snapped and slingshotted in every direction.
"It's amazing how quickly everything occurs to you that you are in real peril," Lang said.
On Saturday, Lang, along with others hardest hit, gathered to ask questions about how to start the process of rebuilding.
Up a hot, sunny hill, a couple of friends dragged a cooler of cold drinks to say thank you to the crews hard at work.
"We live in this community," Sarah Osthaus said. "And we just felt like we wanted to come help any way we could."
It's also where CBS3 spotted a woman with her arms full of food hoping to help a friend who lost everything.
"It's just really hard to see this happen to people you know and care about," Dorrie Dillalogue said.
"We're just trying to do our part," Vincent Visco said. "To give back to a community that always takes care of us."
Simple acts of kindness that make all the difference.
"Every once in a while, it hits me more about the people that care rather than the loss of things," Mary Ann Miller said. "Friends and family are much more important in my life."
Montgomery County has set up a multi-agency resource center for anyone needing assistance. It will be open this Wednesday and Thursday on Lafayette Street in Norristown. For more information, click here.
