The tornado seemed to "curve," around the school according to Larry Greeson who took this photo in the Citco Gas station parking lot just across the street from Sonoraville High School. (Larry Greeson/for the Calhoun Times)
Sophomore Lorna Lyles recalls being seated in the hallway with classmates when she heard a teacher yell, "Get down," as the tornado passed nearby.
Lyles explained they covered their heads for roughly five minutes, but nothing happened, and they returned to class.
The realization of how close the tornado actually came to the schools became apparent when she saw the devastation.
"We didn't know how close it came to us until we drove through and saw," said Lyles. "I have grown up in the Farmville and Sonoraville communities so it was sad to see some places I remember growing up, completely gone."
The shock did not stop Lyles from feeling like she needed to do something to help. The same feelings were evident in the approximately 20-25 volunteers who became involved with Lyles through online social media.
"My friend and I tweeted that we wanted to help and within two hours so many people got involved," said Lyles. People including teachers from Sonoraville and even principal Bruce Potts.
Sonoraville High School has since become the unofficial donation hub in the community.
Also giving back is the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce who is donating the food from its annual banquet to those who lost their homes. The event was scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m., however many members involved are participating in community clean up efforts.
"With so many in our county in immediate, dire need and so many important community partners tied to the banquet, it seems more appropriate to donate the food to those who need meals and free those professionals to do what they do best: make Gordon County a better place to live, work and play," said Joni Harbin, with the chamber.
More than 500 volunteers so far have used Sonoraville High School as a gathering place before going out to help with cleanup efforts.
Lyles and her team gathered at Sonoraville High School at approximately 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning and assisted with minor clean up efforts in the Stonemill subdivision, where much of the damage from the tornado occurred.
Lyles explained major cleanup such as tree removal would not be allowed until insurance processes had been completed, which Lyles was told could take up to three days.
The Stonemill community is open only to homeowners, according to Lyles, who says a friend with the clean up group lived in the neighborhood and was able to get them in.
Lyles says she hopes to be able to go back to continue to help clean up.
I've seen both photos of the tornado near the school, and witnessed it looking from the opposite direction, and the reason it looked so close was because it was so massive. Calhoun Times should send staff out to track the path and then print a retraction of this sensationalist non-sense. It was scary enough the first time around without having the local buzz-bees adding lies to make more juicy.
1) This picture (although of the same tornado that hit Sonoraville) was reportedly taken in Adairsville Wednesday morning near the dental office on 41. There is a true picture of the tornado above Sonoraville Middle that is on Facebook and the Gordon Gov't website.
2) if the tornado had passed "fifty yards" of the high school, it would have hit Sonoraville middle or the Rec, neither of which were hit. The path seems to have been between 1/4 to 1/2 a mile from all 3 schools.
Granted, neither of which take away from the severity of the situation in the least. The Phoenix Nation is strong and loyal and will rally around those affected - we will "rise up."