DEPTFORD, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Cleanup continues in Gloucester County after last week's storms. And now authorities are able to present a clearer picture of the destruction caused by an EF-3 tornado that carved a path nearly 13 miles long, from Mullica Hill to Deptford.
Commissioner Director Bob Damminger says 562 homes and businesses were damaged. Nearly 100 of them are considered "major damage," and 27 were completely destroyed.
"This is a disaster. Literally," said Dana Zawojski, whose home, on Barlow Avenue in Deptford, exploded in the storm like a bag of chips.
"I don’t remember any of it," she said. "It knocked me out cold."
The roof and front wall were torn off, and the house must now be demolished and rebuilt from the ground up.
"I have to start all over, to be honest. But we made it out, so that’s all that matters," she said.
Related
Zawojski may have made it out, but not without some battle wounds. She says she needed 14 stitches in her face after the tornado sent an object flying at her, knocking her unconscious.
"I was standing at my kitchen counter. It came through my back door," she recalled.
Zawojski took a leave of absence from her employer to make time to handle the aftermath of the storm. She says the kindness and compassion of so many people, including the insurance company, has been uplifting as she tries to put her life back together.
Related
Even the mayor has been in contact with her, Zawojski says, promising to expedite building permits and such to help her rebuild faster.
Additional resources are available online for home owners and business owners at gloucestercountynj.gov.
Related
