‘It was terrifying’: Tornado victims overwhelmed by devastation, support

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — It’s been 10 days since deadly tornadoes ripped through the Chattanooga area. Families in East Brainerd neighborhoods are still struggling to clear debris and trees from their properties.

For the DeWild’s off Tyne Ridge Road near Standifer Gap, the night of April 12 is one they’ll never forget.

“All of a sudden, my wife said, ‘Hey, I just got a text. It says there’s a tornado sighted in our area,” Joel DeWild said as he choked up recounting the experience. “We got in the hallway with our little dog, and you feel the house shake and just massive destruction all around you.”

“We heard some trees falling on the house,” DeWild’s wife Cindi said. “We could just hear things breaking and cracking and, it was terrifying.”

Easter’s tornado downed six trees on Joel and Cindi DeWild’s house. Dozens more walled them in for two days. Cindi climbed through the trees to hang a brightly colored scarf on a tree near the road so crews would know a house stood under the destroyed forest.

“Early in the morning we went out, dug our way outside the house, took a look, and it was pretty devastating,” Joel said.

Standing on her porch, Cindi said she could see inside her neighbor’s closet across the street — their house completely ripped a part.

Finally, a contractor sent by the DeWild’s insurance company came and cleared the trees in the driveway and near the doors so they could get out. However, the DeWild’s were left with trees all over their yard and out buildings — damage not covered by insurance.

Cindi: “You could not see the house from the road. And we found out insurance doesn’t pay for that. They’ll pay to get trees off of your house but not off of your property. We were just at people’s mercy.”

Living through an EF3 tornado and seeing its massive devastation has been very emotional for the DeWilds. However, they say they are even more overwhelmed by the amount of generosity they’ve received from dozens of people they don’t even know.

Yes, we are #ChattanoogaStrong, but God is even stronger!

I love getting to tell these emotional stories, and see in an instant just how much people's faith in God and humanity are restored with the littlest gesture — even after a devastating tornado. pic.twitter.com/JP4qcZsNhF

— Angela Moryan (@SidelineStormer) April 22, 2020

“When I think about this, just that traumatic experience is emotional for me, but most of my tears come from, believe it or not are from seeing the volunteers,” Joel said. “I don’t have tears of sadness because of the damage that was done because I know that’s replaceable. But when you see a lot of people just coming out helping, and not just helping in the neighborhood, but just going to the YMCA and having people give you food or tools.”

“It’s everything. I mean, it really is everything,” Cindi said. “It almost makes, well you know, nobody wants to go through a tornado, but when you see the goodness of God working through every day people, it just warms you. It encourages you. It’s not about the trees as much as it is about knowing people care, and that will get you through just about anything.”