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'You didn’t have time to worry' | Virginia Beach homeowners recall moment an EF3 tornado rocked their houses

The Great Neck community in Virginia Beach is still working to rebuild after a tornado tore through the area Sunday. Debris is piled high along the roads.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Great Neck Community in Virginia Beach is still working to rebuild after a tornado tore through the area Sunday. 

Debris is still piled high along the neighborhood streets as crews clear the way.

“...You don’t know who to call next,” said homeowner Ramona Drury.

Looking at the boarded windows and debris covering the backyard, Drury said it’s hard to recognize the place she’s called home for 31 years.

“The roof is messed up,” Drury said. “We were told it is not going to be demolished, that it is going to be gutted.”

The tornado hit her home Sunday night during her grandson’s fifth birthday party.

“You didn’t have time to worry, you just reacted,” Drury said.

She said 10 people quickly huddled together in an interior room.

“We just hunkered over the kids and held them and just heard all this noise and shaking and glass going everywhere,” Drury said. “Trees were coming in through the windows and we just stood there hugging each other.”

The tornado took off her next-door neighbor Nancy Blackwood’s roof.

“We actually heard nothing, it was like a few pieces of glass and maybe a couple of booms, but not very loud,” said Blackwood.

But when Blackwood and her husband left the bathroom, they realized the tornado tore their home apart. The chimney is caving into the living room, the upstairs bedrooms are nonexistent.

“It’s done,” Blackwood said. “Both of our cars are gone.”

While there’s still a lot to clean up, the next-door neighbors can’t help but count their blessings.

"It's fine,” Blackwood said. “I'm sad."

“That’s what we dream about at night, we could be gone or injured,” Drury said. “But we just thank God that we are all fine.”

Both Drury and Blackwood said they have places to stay while they figure out the next steps with their homes.

Virginia Beach police are still encouraging drivers to avoid North Great Neck Road when possible, so they can keep traffic flowing for residents, utility crews and debris cleaning companies.

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