Lance Garvin’s chicken houses in Newton County were flattened by Tuesday’s tornado.

    Newton County is cleaning up after Tuesday’s tornado caused extensive damage to several homes and businesses near Wickware and Liberty Church roads.

    The tornado, which touched down around 2:30 p.m., was the first of nine tornadoes that hit Mississippi and Alabama.

    Newton County Emergency Management Director Scott Smith said the National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado with 110 mph winds was responsible for the damage.

    The tornado cut through the southeast part of the county, leaving a path of destruction more than 7 miles long. Eight houses were damaged, Smith said.

    “We had one trailer that was completely destroyed, four in the major category, one home with minor damage, and two with effective damage (just a few leaks),” Smith said. “There were two chicken houses that were completely destroyed.”

    Debbie McCormick, who lives on Shelby Road, said she was in her kitchen when she heard a low humming sound.

    “I looked out the window and saw stuff flying by it. But when I saw my big patio furniture fly by, I thought to myself, ‘This is going to be some serious business,'” McCormick said. “I got my Shih Tzu, ran to the closet and shut the door. As soon as I shut the door, my bedroom exploded.”

    The terror was over in a matter of seconds, McCormick said.

    “I eased the closet door open and saw that the whole back of my house was gone,” she said. “I had a couple of storage sheds and I don’t know where they went to.”

    Ruby Jean Kennedy, who just turned 96, said she didn’t hear the tornado coming.  

    “I was listening to the television and they said it was in Philadelphia; so I wasn’t too worried,” Kennedy said. “I went to shut my back door because the wind had blown my back door open, but didn’t break it. I went into my bedroom and a window was blown out and there was a limb on my bed.”

    Kennedy, whose property on Liberty Church Road saw extensive damage, said it was all over before she realized what was happening.

    “I was in shock when I saw all the damage, and it happened so quick,” she said. “But, I have the best neighbors that came out to help repair and clean up my property. I even had people from town out here helping.

    “I am just so thankful no one was hurt,” Kennedy said. “Like my pastor Mark McDonald said to me, ‘God is so good.'”