Sunday, May 11, 2008

The damage left behind in Darien is massive.

FOX 28's Candace McCowan was there today, and despite being caught in another bout of severe weather that came through the town, she caught up with some people who are left cleaning up.

"One of the neighbors down the road, he called me and he said your place is gone. Thought he was exaggerating a little bit but he was definitely not exaggerating," said Rick Caldwell, owner of Outboard Rejuvenations. 

His boat shop is gone.

Behind the shop, the Health Center that housed 40 children is destroyed, as well as the McIntosh County EMS building with ambulances inside.

Luckily only minor injuries were reported. Those that came out to pitch in were in disbelief of the sight.

James McKinzie, a Darien resident, said, "Its pretty substantial, you never believe something like this can happen in your community, its surprising."

Caldwell and his family spent the day driving around and combing through the woods-- finding parts of his family business strewn all over. "I said so much for the building that was supposed to sustain so much wind, it couldn't handle a tornado," Caldwell said. The entire property was lined in fencing, that is now crumbled all over the ground, and the boats that are flipped over, well their engines are hundred of feet away in the woods.

Boats turned over, parts of engines in the neighbors roof, and with some 30 foot boats still missing, Caldwell is counting not only on his insurance but the insurance of his customers

"Its all gone, all I've got is a slab and 3 acres of land," he said. 

Picking up their salvageable belongings, knowing there is a long clean up ahead.

Copyright 2008 by WJCL 22 / ABC and WTGS / FOX28, The Coastal Source