Tornado cleanup, restoration under way in Palm Coast

Published: Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 5:30 a.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 11:29 a.m.

His house along Barring Place was one of 171 homes damaged by a tornado that ripped through sections of Palm Coast on Saturday night. No injuries were reported but several heartbroken homeowners were coping with the emotional aftermath Monday, faced with the daunting and expensive task of cleaning up.

Bispo took a long look at the tree, shook his head and told his wife, I don't want to deal with this.

By Sunday morning, Bispo's despondence was replaced by a sense of purpose. He and his wife knew what kind of cleanup was awaiting them and they got started.

Tree cutters, restoration companies and community outreach organizations began working around the clock Sunday and Monday. The buzz of chain saws reverberated throughout the neighborhoods hardest hit by the storm in particular, the area of Indian Trails and Pine Lakes, which was cluttered with downed trees and house debris. Much of it was shoveled and moved into piles along the road, waiting to be hauled away.

The twister formed shortly before 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Espanola, an unincorporated area in western Flagler County, and swooped into Palm Coast. The storm, confirmed as an EF-1 tornado, included wind speeds ranging from 86 to 110 mph, according to the National Weather Service. It blew out windows, knocked down trees and ripped away roof shingles.

It removed the entire roof from Johnny Coberly's house along Bannerwood Lane. A large chunk of it was lying in the front yard of his neighbor's property across the street.

Unlike the Bispos, who were in Ocala when the storm wrecked their home, Coberly, 77, was sitting on the sofa in his living room. He said he heard booming sounds and headed toward a safer section of his home. Before he could brace

himself, the tornado engulfed his home, knocking him from the hallway into his bathroom.

It was like the highest velocity air-blower you could think of, he said. I thought a bomb went off.

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Tornado cleanup, restoration under way in Palm Coast