Man details tornado experience in Edgewater airport hangar

Tornado causes $723K in damage

EDGEWATER, Fla. – Cleanup continued on Monday at Massey Ranch Airpark after an EF-1 Tornado blew through the city of Edgewater Friday afternoon.

Doug Powell tells Local 6 he was inside his hangar when it happened

"You know they always say you should get under your desk or hide in the shower  but there's no time to do that. I just sat there in a chair and moved around," said Powell.

He watched as sheet metal and insulation whirled around his office.

"I was looking out the window of my hangar and it was dark, then it was bright because the roof lifted off and I was looking at  the sky,"" said Powell.

Powell said he lost a third of his roof that's now fixed, suffered water damage and had a scratch on his favorite classic car. It was one of seven that he kept inside the hangar.

"1950 Oldsmobile. One of my favorites," he said.

But it's nothing compared to the other hangars at the Massey Ranch Air Park, including the one right next door to his, and Powell said he certainly got lucky.

"I was born and raised here. I've been through hurricanes, and everything else. But this is my first tornado and I happen to be in the middle of it," said Powell.

The Volusia  County Appraiser's Office said there's  $723,000 in building damage and that's including damage to a home in the Wildwood Subdivision.


About the Author:

Loren Korn is a native Texan who joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2014. She was born and raised in Houston and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Journalism.

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