Rabun County, GA--Lake Burton Tornado Damage

I took these photos last week at lake Rabun. Over a month after the tornado, a lot of clean up has been accomplished, and damage cleared. Even so, evidence of the scope and ferocity of the storm was awesome to behold. It is hard to imagine the powerful force that can twist and snap huge trees as if they are match sticks, and move entire buildings hundreds of feet! The good news is that most of the homes weren't primary residences, and not many people were at the lake. One man lost his life as a result of the tornado. Rabun County was relatively fortunate.

I saw hundreds, probably even thousands, of twisted and broken trees. 

The one mattress I saw with a sheet on it!

I can't imagine losing everything. It was very poignant seeing tangible evidence of "everyday life," in the shallow waters of the lake, stuck up in trees, and strewn on the ground. This is a little random, but one thing struck me as very mysterious. There seemed to be mattresses all over the place, but no box springs! Only one of the mattresses had a sheet on it! You'd think more of the fitted sheets would have stayed on, wouldn't you? I also wondered, exactly where everyone's "stuff" went! You hear about some things, like paperwork, being found miles away. It still seems like A LOT of "stuff" just DISAPPEARED! Clothing, towels, dishes, food, furniture, toys, electronics...the "stuff" was there, in all the houses, then the houses and "stuff" were just GONE!  My prayers are with all those who lost friends, family, and possessions during the spring tornadoes. God Bless You All.

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