Tornado tears through Elkhorn Ranch in Elbert County: ‘Where do you start?'
Just hours before FOX31 arrived on scene, Elbert County officials issued a disaster declaration for the area. Homes were left shredded, roofs torn away, and debris scattered for blocks.
Elbert County declares local emergency after May 18 tornado
'We spent a large part of yesterday and even this morning just trying to figure out, where do you start? What do you do next?' said Adam Dormuth, a homeowner whose property was hit hard by the storm.
Dormuth's workshop was destroyed, several windows were blown out, air conditioning units were tossed by the wind, and his home will likely need a new roof. He described the damage as a mix of structural and cosmetic.
Despite the widespread destruction, no injuries have been reported.
'You know, a lot of mixed emotions,' Dormuth said. 'We feel very fortunate. I'm thrilled my family is okay. I still can't believe — out of all the houses that were ripped through — no injuries were reported.'
As insurance adjusters and contractors begin to assess the damage, many residents are simply trying to stay busy and make sense of what's next.
'You walk through the field, you pick up little pieces of wood, siding, things like that,' Dormuth said. 'You pick up stuff that doesn't really matter, but you know it needs to be picked up to try and keep yourself busy.'
Photos: Tornado damage in Adams, Arapahoe counties seen from the sky
Still, amidst the chaos, the neighborhood has rallied together.
'Neighbors have been great,' he said. 'They've been coming by. Everyone is chipping in. They are offering tractors and trucks … neighbors have started meals, food.'
Elbert County officials are urging anyone impacted to report damage and utilize county recovery resources. Cleanup is expected to continue for several days as the community begins the long road to recovery.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
21 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Parents of kids swept away in Texas floods beg lawmakers to protect future campers
When floodwaters rushed through a girl's summer camp nestled in the Texas Hill County, Michael McCown's 8-year-old daughter was among 27 campers and counselors swept to their deaths. On Wednesday, McCown joined other Camp Mystic parents, some wearing buttons memorializing 'Heaven's 27,' in demanding that Texas lawmakers pass a bill that would boost camp safety, including generally keeping cabins out of floodplains, instituting new requirements for emergency plans and mandating weather radios. 'It will hurt my family forever that, for reasons I still do not know, these protections were not in place nor thought out thoroughly for my daughter and the rest of the girls here,' he said. 'Please pass this bill, protect our kids and do not let their deaths be in vain.' His middle child, Linnie, was sandwiched between two brothers. She was sometimes a pest to her 11-year-old brother. But to the youngest, just 3, she was mother figure, making him cereal on weekends so her parents could catch a few minutes of sleep. 'To everyone else she was a joy,' her father told lawmakers. 'She hugged her teachers, was a friend to everybody, and spread an infectious giggle everywhere she went.' Then came the floods. Just before daybreak on the Fourth of July, destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe River, washing away homes and vehicles. All told, at least 136 people died, raising questions about how things went so terribly wrong. County leaders were asleep and out of town. The head of Camp Mystic had been tracking the weather beforehand, but it's now unclear whether he saw an urgent warning from the National Weather Service that had triggered an emergency alert to phones in the area, a spokesman for camp's operators said in the immediate aftermath. Some of the camp's buildings — which flooded — were in what the Federal Emergency Management Agency considered a 100-year flood plain. But in response to an appeal, FEMA in 2013 amended the county's flood map to remove 15 of the camp's buildings from the hazard area. Upon learning of the flooding, McCown rushed to the town of Kerrville to pick up Linnie, receiving an email en route that if parents hadn't been personally contacted, then their daughters are accounted for. 'I felt a wave of relief, which was quickly shattered about 30 minutes later when my wife called incredibly distraught to say that Linnie is missing,' he recalled. He joined the search downstream from the camp and found the body of a deceased girl. He also made two trips to a funeral home to identify bodies. One was not Linnie; the other, he believed, was. He later provided authorities with a DNA swab. He's haunted by questions. 'How,' he asked, 'could these girls vanish into the night without anyone having eyes on them while cabins literally just 20 yards away had no casualties? So what went wrong?' Texas State Sen. Charles Perry described the proposed legislation as a 'legacy to the loss' and an answer to what has been learned during hours of public testimony. He said it's dubbed the 'Heaven's 27 Camp Safety Act.' 'It's only appropriate,' Perry said, 'to memorialize the 27 little girls that lost their lives at Camp Mystic in this way.'
CBS News
24 minutes ago
- CBS News
Hurricane Erin is forcing several beaches in Massachusetts to close for swimming
The forecast does not call for Hurricane Erin to get too close to Massachusetts, but the storm is causing some beaches to close for swimming as it could create big waves and dangerous rip currents on the coast. Gov. Maura Healey asked residents on the coast to "stay safe and alert" as Erin passes by. "Rip currents and high surfs are a serious threat to swimmers," the governor said in a statement. "Please be careful while the storm passes through our region and keep an eye out for neighbors who might need assistance." Healey noted that many state beaches are in the "high risk" area of the National Weather Service's surf zone forecast. High surf advisories are in effect through Friday and may extend through the weekend, the governor's office said. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said "inexperienced swimmers should avoid the water due to dangerous surf conditions." Double red flags at a beach mean it is closed for swimming. The Cape Cod National Seashore says park staff are monitoring Hurricane Erin and the potential for deadly rip currents. The park is telling beachgoers on its website "do not risk getting swept out to sea." Below is a list of beaches that have announced closures related to Hurricane Erin. Nantucket is closing all south shore beaches for swimming on Wednesday and Thursday. The closed beaches include Surfside, Cisco, Miacomet, Nobadeer, Ladies and Madaket beaches. "Please stay out of the water! Life threatening rip currents and dangerous surf across the south shore of Nantucket from Hurricane Erin!" the Nantucket Harbormaster posted. On Martha's Vineyard, South Beach will be closed to swimming. Lifeguards and rangers will not be on the beach for their own safety. On the South Coast, Westport beaches are closed for swimming due to "dangerous surf conditions and rip currents." The beaches will be open to walkers. The Horseneck Beach parking lot is closing at 6 p.m. Wednesday, police said. Minot Beach and Peggotty Beach in Scituate were closed Monday due to rough water conditions. The town said the beaches will be monitored on a daily basis to determine if closures are necessary.
CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
How to Track Hurricane Erin: See Which States Are Currently At Risk
As Hurricane Erin heads north up the East Coast this Wednesday, residents are paying close attention to see where the storm will land and which cities may be in danger. As we write this on Wednesday afternoon, Erin is now a 110-mph Category 2 hurricane, but that can change quickly. Read more: Beyond Boarding Up: How to Prep Your Smart Home Security for a Hurricane The latest projections show the storm aiming for Boston, but veering back out into the Atlantic before causing too much damage. However, storm and flood warnings abound for states including New Jersey, Delaware and even Virginia. If you need to track Hurricane Erin --currently swirling several hundred miles off North Carolina -- here are the best tools to do it. Read more: Will Your Home Be Safe in a Hurricane? Here's How to Protect It National Hurricane Center The NHC has a comprehensive, at-a-glance round-up of Hurricane Erin's progress, predictions about its path and official advisories on when and where to take precautions. This should be your first visit to find information fast. For the most detailed visuals, this NOAA satellite tracker offers a fascinating view. Tyler Lacoma/NOAA NOAA's live hurricane tracker If you're a fan of big, beautiful maps, then the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is for you. This detailed satellite visual of Hurricane Erin lets you see exactly what it looks like and where it's going in stunning, somewhat frightening detail. Up-to-date trackers from Boston will show where rain is expected. Tyler Lacoma/NBC Boston NBC Boston live radar tracker This Boston news channel has set up its own tracker, featuring a radar map with an overlay you can use to see where heavy rains are likely to hit. While Boston doesn't appear to be in any serious danger right now, you can keep updated if anything changes and see if your neighborhood should get ready for a big splash.
