Months later, residents recall tornado that tore through Caldwell County

CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — A severe storm that slammed into several foothill counties in late October spawned a tornado that left a path of destruction nearly 20 miles long.

Eyewitness News reporter Dave Faherty went back to some of the hardest-hit communities where, despite the damage, residents are giving thanks this Christmas that no one was seriously hurt.

More storm damage coverage:

• North Carolina Tornado: State of Emergency Declared in Catawba County
• 121 homes suffer storm damage in Caldwell County
• Significant storm damage prompts State of Emergency in Catawba County
• Storm damage forces area schools to close, delay opening
• Hangars damaged, small planes flipped as storms slam Hickory
• Red Cross opens shelters for families affected by storms

For more than six weeks, Stan Landis has been cleaning up around his Caldwell County home. He was at his front door when the storm took down more than 40 trees in his yard.

"The rain was horizontal,” Landis said. “And I could see the curve in it. It was pretty wild."

A few miles away, a tree destroyed Chris and Amy Bolick's bedroom.

The couple, along with their children, took cover in the basement as the storm roared through Caldwell County.

Tornadoes - Up Close Tornadoes - Up Close

Now, Chris Bolick is turning the tree, which was 44 inches in diameter, into a bed frame and an accent wall while contractors rebuild his master bedroom.

Until March, the Bolicks will be sleeping in their living room.

"Thankful that we were all here and that we did receive the early warning, and knew what to do,” Chris Bolick said. "We did receive the early warning and no one was hurt."

The storm hit just two weeks after a tornado touched down in the Hudson area.

Both storms damaged more than 500 homes in Caldwell County but some of the worse damage was at the Hickory Regional Airport.

The EF-2 tornado touched down at the airport with 120 mph winds, destroying planes and other vehicles.

The hanger was also destroyed.

Patrick Hudson, who was working at the airport shuttle when the tornado hit, huddled in a bathroom with other employees, which is something he'll never forget.

"My stomach just sank," said Hudson, who works at Hickory Hop Shuttle. “It was scary to think I was that close to something that was that strong."

Cox Media Group