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'It's devastating': Allendale tornado leaves behind path of destruction

Residents in Allendale County describe the tornado as something they've never experienced before.

ALLENDALE, S.C. — After a tornado swept through Allendale County on Tuesday night, residents are picking up the pieces and evaluating the damage left behind.

"All you could hear was like something was on top of the house, like horses or something ... kind of like whoom whoom whoom whoom," said Katherine Rivers, who lives in Allendale County. "I was in the bedroom, and I hear the rain and the thunder. I was also keeping up with the TV and, after a while, it seemed like the wind changed, the sound was different."

Rivers said she ran into the bathroom and took cover. The tornado took off part of her roof and knocked over trees in her back yard.

"You can’t see anymore but this house had a fireplace, and it had a chimney," Rivers said. "The chimney is gone, and it’s just a open circle. An open space and water was just pouring in."

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An power pole also fell over onto her home, knocking out power for her and other neighbors. Rivers said it's going to take time to emotionally move on from the tornado. 

William Robinson lives two houses away from Rivers and told News 19 he has never been around a tornado before. 

"That thing was coming at me ... I started praying," Robinson said. "The water was so thick, I couldn’t even see. The next time—I'm getting out of dodge."

Robins said a tree in his backyard came down and ruined his fence and boat shed.

"I came out here, and I almost cried," Robbins said. "I put this whole fence up by myself. And look at it. Sad."  

RELATED: SC couple trapped in high winds in their truck as tornado moves through county

Six miles up the road is Mike Mathias' farm. He said the tornado ripped through his farm, destroying some of his equipment, including grain silos, trailers, and more. 

"It's devastating. It’s hard to put into words," Mathias said. "This is an act of God, it’s out of our control and we got to deal with it."

Mathias said the twister came so quick, he didn't have time to prepare or take cover.

RELATED: More Midlands tornadoes confirmed

"All I can say is, if you ever hear of one being spotted or a warning, take shelter," Mathias said. "It came and left before we can do anything. Before we knew, it was here, it was gone. It’s serious."

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division is collecting donations for anyone who is in need of items, including: Non-perishable foods, monetary donations, and cleaning supplies. 

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