Union Township family describes hanging onto railing as EF2 tornado touched down near their home
UNION TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - The Abel family received no warning that an EF2 tornado was coming toward their home.
Related: EF2 tornado damages Washington County church; congregants suffer 'minor' injuries
There were no sirens to tell family members enjoying a 4-year-old's birthday party that they needed to head inside. The tornado came so fast that they were unable to do so.
"My husband was holding on to that railing, and my son was holding on to him, and my daughter was holding on to my son," said Joyce Abel. "My husband was like, 'I think it's gonna take us.'"
She and her grandchildren were inside the home.
Her husband held on to the railing for dear life, she said. The wind was so powerful, they were unable to get to the door of their home, despite it being just a few steps away.
"When I happened to look out and see my husband was ready to fly, I don't even know what I was thinking at that point," Abel said.
Despite debris swirling around them, they were unhurt.
The tornado ripped the roof off Joyce's home, leaving heavy damage on the second floor. Debris is strewn across the yard. A front balcony collapsed.
A Union Township official said the home received the heaviest damage of any home impacted by Saturday's tornado.
"I'm just grateful my three grandchildren were not outside playing because they would not have known what was happening; they would have been gone."
A tarp now covers where the roof of their home was. Joyce is unsure if they'll be forced to tear the rest down and build a new home. The roof of their neighbor's storage garage was completely ripped off, with pieces thrown across a hillside.
Michalle Dupree, Chairperson of the Union Township Board of Supervisors, says it could take months to fully clean up and rebuild.
Right now, she's concerned about the potential flooding with so much debris in creeks. They are assisting their residents in cleaning up debris that could pose a hazard.
The tornado only caused minor injuries.
Joyce said she hasn't had a moment to reflect after all that's happened.
"I'm still in shock from it all. I'm just grateful everyone made it through for how things were," she said.
