Adairsville marks 3 years since deadly tornado

ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. — January 30 is a somber day for Bartow County: In 2013, a powerful tornado ripped through the community of Adairsville leaving a trail of destruction. One person was killed and over a dozen were injured across the area.
 
The EF3 twister, with winds of 160 mph damaged nearly 100 structures in Adairsville and at least an additional 400 in neighboring Gordon County, officials said.
 
A tree fell on top of 51-year-old Anthony Raines' home on Poplar Springs Road. He did not make it out alive, the Bartow County coroner said.
 
"A tree fell on his roof in his bedroom and it squished him," said neighbor Chris Silver. "I just want to pray for all the families that got hurt and all the people who got disaster in their house, and God bless 'em."
 
Channel 2's Ross Cavitt and photographer Casey Nichols were in Adairsville and recorded the tornado touching down in the downtown area.
 
A state of emergency was declared in the area as crews worked to assess the damage.
 
The Daiki Corp. plant on Adairsville Road was flattened. Not one of the giant concrete walls of the 200,000 square foot plant remained after the storm. Big steel beams were twisted like pretzels. When the storm hit, the plant manager and his employees hunkered down in a bathroom and a break room for shelter.
 
It took nearly nine months for it to reopen.
 
"That sounded like a train," Dorothy Wilkey told her grandchildren and daughter-in-law as the tornado hit Adairsville at midday. "I've never, in my entire life, experienced something like this."
 
The community came together in the days following the storm with thousands of volunteers helping with the cleanup process.
 
Channel 2 WSB-TV donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross to aid in relief of the victims.
 
Despite many losing their homes and their livelihood, locals count their blessings.
 
"I'm thankful. I'm just so thankful that we're alive," said resident Jill Brown. "These are good people up here. We'll handle it."