HOSFORD, Fla. (WCTV) – Clean up in Liberty County kicking off on Friday after a confirmed EF-2 tornado touched down Thursday, leaving wreckage in the Hosford community and a region grappling with one of the worst storms in recent memory.

George Lopez left the town Thursday night before the tornado hit to meet up with his wife and daughter for a birthday dinner.

Just 10 minutes after they met up, Lopez got a call from his neighbor that he needed to get home because the tornado and storm had ripped off the roof of his home.

“All of that was gone,” Lopez said pointing at the tarped roof of his home. “It was pouring rain in and thundering.”

Lopez said he “had to be the strong one.”

A lineman by trade, working for the city of Tallahassee, he stood in the yard with his wife and daughter looking at the remnants of their home, which he said was a “total loss.” He called his fellow utility worker looking for help in the aftermath of the crisis.

Lopez said within a matter of minutes droves of utility workers showed up at his home with tools, tarps and more to help him and his family rebuild.

As more crews worked to restore power, down the street from his home the Capital Area Chapter of the Red Cross set up at the Jimmy Weaver Memorial Library to answer the call to service.

Volunteer Sandi Poreda said no injuries were reported in the area, but the entire community was shaken by what had just occurred.

“The human element is the perspective,” Poreda said. “You can repair things you can rebuild homes, but our focus is on the people.”

The Red Cross stocked the camp with water, coffee and snacks. Workers also had supplies like tarps and gloves for the entire community as members work to repair the damage.

Mark Woll with the National Weather Service said in Liberty County two homes were destroyed, at least five received major damage and another 25 received minor damage.

“I don’t want people to let their guard down because we have another couple of rounds of severe weather possible,” Woll said. “Saturday, Saturday night, early Sunday morning we could have another round to keep an eye out for.”

Lopez said he and his family would be spending time away from the home to recover mentally and emotionally with Liberty County Sheriff’s deputies keeping an eye on it.

“I’ll go somewhere else and stay, take a shower and get a nice rest.”

Utility crews with the City of Tallahassee were also out assisting the area to get power restored and the Red Cross said they will remain in Liberty County until clean up is finished.

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