The Courier Times
Weather
Outlook
TODAY: Hi 86 Lo 59
THURSDAY; Hi 71 Lo 51
FRIDAY; Hi 64 Lo 53
WEDNESDAY, April 20,2011
Serving All of Person County Since 1881
Copyright The Courier-Times inc. 2011 All Rights Reserved
75c
Our 129th Year — No. 32
Roxboro, North Carolina
Three Sections — 24 Pages
www.personcountylite.com
TORNADO IN PERSON
F2 twister wallops northern part of county
By TIM CHANDLER
Courier-Times Editor
tchandler@roxboro-courier.com
“All things considered, I think we’re
extremely blessed.”
Person County Emergency Services
Director Michael Day spoke those words
Tuesday while discussing the EF2 tor
nado that ripped through the northern
portion of Person County Saturday
afternoon.
While the storm, which packed winds
estimated at between 111 and 135 miles
per hour, caused widespread damage,
there were no deaths or injuries re
ported in Person County.
Day was comparing Person County to
areas of the state south and east where
multiple injuries and deaths were asso
ciated with a host of twisters spawned
by a powerful cold front passing through
the state.
Day noted that Person County was
placed under a severe thunderstorm
warning by the National Weather Ser-
■ More storm
coverage on pages
A2, A4, B1 & C4
vice (NWS) Saturday at 2:13 p.m. That
warning was changed to a tornado
warning at 2:31 p.m. when NWS radar
indicated a tornado five miles southwest
of Concord and seven miles west of
Roxboro moving northeast at 65 miles
per hour.
The warning indicated that the storm
had the potential to impact the Bethel
Hill community.
According to Day, 911 dispatched the
Woodsdale Volunteer Fire Department,
Person County Rescue Squad, Person
County EMS and Emergency Manage
ment to the 9800 block of Boston Road
and to North Pointe Drive “for houses
struck by a tornado and people reported
trapped on North Pointe Drive.
“Woodsdale Volunteer Fire Depart
ment arrived in the area and reported
damage on Boston Road, North Pointe
Drive and Bethel Hill School Road area, ”
Day added. “Numerous trees and power
lines were down on Boston Road near the
Bethel Hill Rur itan Club, delaying access
to addresses north of that location.
“There were also trees in the roadway
on Bethel Hill School Road, but these
were quickly cleared to allow access to
the north,” Day continued. “There were
also trees in the roadway at Boston Road
See F2 back page
DESTROYED — This home on North Pointe Drive suffered heavy damage and was moved
when the EF2 tornado ripped through Bethel Hill Saturday afternoon.
off
Grey Pentecost / C-T
its foundation
/!/
rm so glad that the tornado didn't
come while children were here'
Thanks to an 'astonomicaT number of volunteers, BHCS will open Monday
By GREY PENTECOST
C-T Staff Writer
greypentecost@roxboro-courier.com
On Saturday, as tornados ripped
through North Carolina, Bethel Hill
Charter School Principal John Better-
ton and his wife Bonnie were taking
shelter near Raleigh, where they had
been visiting their grandchildren. After
the storm passed in that area they got
in the car to start for home and heard
on the radio that Bethel Hill had been
hit by a tornado.
The storm that hit parts of Person
County Saturday afternoon caused
substantial damage to BHCS, where the
roof of the gym was ripped off, heating
and air conditioning units were blown
from the roof of the school building
and numerous windows were broken,
among other damages.
Around 6 p.m. that evening, when
Betterton first saw the school and all the
destruction in the storm’s wake, he said
his heart “dropped.” But people had al
ready begun cleanup and Betterton said
when he found out that no one was hurt
and all the damages could be repaired,
he felt better.
“I’m so glad that the tornado didn’t
come while children were here,” Bet
terton told The Courier-Times Monday
afternoon, adding that it was a “miracle”
that this week was spring break for the
INSIDE Wednesday
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Classified
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Entertainment....
Inside NASCAR..
Lifestyle
Mini-Page
Obituaries
A2
.C section
A3
Business
Commentary
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B2-3 Extension Notes..
... A9 Legal Notices
B4-5 Looking Back
... B7 Movies.
Pentecost
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..A6-8 TV Listings..
..AID
....A5
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B8
C3
A3
A2
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B6
6 9 6
Tim Chandler / C-T
GYM DAMAGE — A portion of the
roof at Bethel Hill Charter School
was ripped off by the tornado.
school.
While almost every building on cam
pus sustained some form of damage, the
gym was the hardest hit. The roof and
floor tiles will have to be replaced, said
Betterton, who said that he believed the
building was structurally safe. However,
he doesn’t expect repairs to be completed
before the end of this school year.
“But the rest of the campus will be
back together by Monday,” Betterton
said, “and we’ll be ready to operate.”
Betterton credits the community and
volunteers from surrounding areas for
the quick recovery, and said the influx
of volunteers was “astronomical.” He
estimated the number of volunteers at
40 on Saturday, 50 on Sunday and 30 on
Monday.
They ranged from church groups to
school faculty members and families
of children who attend the school, with
people offering not only their services,
but equipment as well. In addition, local
businesses donated food and supplies.
A local farmer donated a pig, which
volunteers helping at the school and in
other areas of the Bethel Hill community
enjoyed for lunch at Bethel Hill Baptist
Church on Monday. And on Tuesday, a
mission team from Vance County was
scheduled to offer its assistance for a
couple of days.
Betterton said that it would take
some time to get “the little stuff” back,
but that the main issues had been taken
care of
Tim Chandler / C-T
DEBRIS ALL AROUND — The tornado left a path of destruction at
Bethel Hill Charter School, north of Roxboro.
'Should I get Bailey up?'
Bethel Hill couple credits God with making sure entire
family was safe during Saturday's ferocious weather
By GREY PENTECOST
C-T Staff Writer
greypentecost@roxboro-courier.com
CLEANING UP
to clean up the
Chris
Submitted by Kim Jacobs
— Friends and family members worked this weekend
destruction left behind by the tornado at the home of
and Kim jacobs on Bethel Hill School Road.
Chris and Kim Jacobs of Roxboro
had heard a fairly significant storm was
predicted to pass through the area on Sat
urday, but were not expecting anything
like the one they experienced, especially
not one that would imperil the lives
of them and their children, and their
14-year-old daughter in particular.
“I don’t know that anything could
really prepare you for a hit like this,”
Kim told The Courier-Times Monday
afternoon.
She and her husband Chris, along
with their two children, 11-year-old Wil
liam and 14-year-old Bailey, were relax
ing at their Bethel Hill School Road home
Saturday when it began to rain.
Bailey was in the couple’s bedroom
asleep, having spent the previous night
at a lock-in at Bethel Hill Baptist Church.
When the wind speed began to increase
and their power went out, Kim said she
and Chris went outside to secure the
items on their front porch. Chris then
accessed Doppler radar images online
that showed a storm heading in the
direction of Person County.
Kim said she saw a look in her hus
band’s eyes she had never seen before.
She doesn’t remember “feeling a nudge”
or thinking anything, but rather be
lieves that God spoke through her to
ask her husband, “Should I get Bailey
up?”
Chris told her yes. Then, within sec
onds, said Chris, “it was as if someone
turned a big fan on.” When he heard
the wind and saw the trees begin to
bow and sway he told his wife, “and do
it immediately.”
Kim got her daughter up, and before
they even made it to the small bathroom
where they were planning to take shel
ter, she heard a crashing noise, which
they later discovered was a tree limb
See COUPLE back page