Tornadoes straddle county line

After thirty years of work, everything was gone in 7 minutes, Julie Davis said. A tornado touched down south of Camp Crook Thursday night, destroying one home on Doug and Julie Davis' property. No one was injured during the storm.

The National Weather Service confirmed four tornadoes in Harding County and another four in Carter County June 28. The tornado on the Davis' property was estimated to have had 138 mph winds and, as it caused its most significant damage, an EF-3 rating.

The destroyed home was an occupied rental property. The inhabitants took shelter in the basement and their dog survived the tornado by hiding in a bathtub.

Davis said the tornado also destroyed an old camper, the workshop, the cow barn and corral. The cows were out to pasture at the time and not harmed, although a bull was gouged and the ewes were still being counted.

Structures on the property were flattened; roofs laid on top of collapsed lumber. A tractor was peeled apart by the high winds, leaving only its engine and transmission. "It looked like something drug it around in the grass and it must have finally busted apart," said Davis.

Davis described holding herself in a doorjamb while the wind whistled through the wood, sounding like a creature's screams. When she closed her eyes to go to sleep, she said the sound returned and stayed with her throughout the night.

Family, friends and workmen were on the property Friday checking on one another and livestock, searching through debris and performing triage structure maintenance. Davis said the wind took her plants but left her pots; she found them scattered and stuck them back in place.

It had been a long night and a long day, but the mood was upbeat, resilient. It was a challenge to hold a grudge; jokes and smiles broke through any conversational clouds. "It's too late in the day to be serious about it," said Doug Davis.

Alissa Wolenetz contributed reporting for this story.