Finleyville family recalls moment tornado destroys their home during child’s birthday party

Joyce and Gene Abel were throwing a birthday party for their 4-year-old granddaughter, Thea, on Saturday and said they didn’t see or hear it coming.

“Wind started to pick up a little bit, I was leaning on the railing, that tornado appeared right there - right in front of my face,” Abel recalled.

Gene was outside with his son and said the tornado was roaring and he couldn’t hear anyone yelling for him to get inside.

“I literally had to hold onto that railing, it was pulling my feet out from under me,” Abel said. “It couldn’t have lasted any more than 30 seconds.”

>>> NWS finds damage indicating EF2 tornado hit Washington County Saturday

Abel says the kids made it safely into the basement just before the roof of the home was sucked up into the air. His massive, 200-year-old oak trees were twisted and snapped. Insulation and debris are now tangled in the limbs. Dead birds were found all over his front yard.

“A big overhang on the top of that roof came down, almost got my son,” Abel said. “That would have done it. We made it, we all made it.”

You can see the path the tornado took, tearing through town from Abel’s house to Crossroads Ministries on Walter Long Road. Nearly 100 people were inside the church during Saturday evening mass when the tornado hit. The windows of the church were blown out and the glass cut a couple of people inside as it swirled in the wind. They were not seriously hurt.

>>> Tornado hits Washington County church, damages roof while 100 people are inside

As for the Abels, they say this was a birthday party to remember for all the wrong reasons.

“Never forget - none of them will, neither will the adults,” Abel said.

The Abels don’t yet know if their home is a total loss but they’re preparing to be in a hotel for the next eight months. All of this is going on while Joyce Abel undergoes chemotherapy. The family tells Channel 11, that when it rains, it pours.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter . | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW: