JAMES CITY Co., Va. – The sound of crews cleaning up is what let David Masterson know the storm was over.
“They were out with chainsaws and we knew to come out that things were safe,” said Masterson.
Hours before, Masterson and his family were huddled in a bathroom inside their Governor’s Land home in James City County as a tornado moved right through their backyard.
He says, “We heard it going and we could feel the pressure in the house. It was a big rumble.”
A rumble that left the community in disbelief.
“What goes through my head is just how lucky we are to survive this,” he adds.
Emergency leaders spent the day assessing all the damage with the National Weather Service at the golf course community. The green is now covered in branches.
“There were trees in my yard that didn’t belong to my yard,” said Masterson.
Clean-up crews worked around the clock Tuesday.
“It’s been a busy day,” said Randy Coleman. He’s the owner of a local landscaping company.
Cutting down snapped trees and separating branches is just a few of the things that were done on Tuesday.
“Excavators, skid steers, dump trucks and about 25 hardworking guys,” Coleman adds.
On the other side of the golf course are split trees, some on the ground. This is just a glimpse of the devastation right here in this community.
Neighbors who spoke to News 3 say when you take a look at the devastation, it’s a miracle that no one was injured.
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“Just the grace of God, I think honestly. It’s obvious it came straight through the neighborhood and didn’t hit a house,” said Masterson.
The storm damaged his garage doors and took out a couple windows.
County leaders confirm that no one was injured.
