HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Parts of Warner Robins' Stathams Landing neighborhood will never look the same because of the EF-3 tornado that ripped through six months ago this week.
Houston County's EMA director estimates it caused at least $2 million in property damage, but that figure could be even higher.
"Debris was hitting our car. It sounded like rocks," Ard said.
She and her husband had just missed the tornado.
They were out running an errand.
"The sirens at the base were going off. As soon as we turned onto Fairways and got a little ways down, I saw a tree in the road that we had to go up on the side of the road to get around it. A tree on my driveway, a tree on my house, a tree on my husband's truck that was sitting right here. It was just surreal. We could not pull into our driveway. There was a tree across our driveway, so we had to pull in the neighbor's yard and come across," Ard said.
After running an errand, they came home to blown out windows, ruined floors, and a torn up roof.
"We had water everywhere, debris splattered against the wall. It was bad, but it was standing. We were more fortunate than a couple of neighbors over who's whole roof was gone," Ard said.
About a month after the storm, they had to move out.
"Originally, they told us we would be out three weeks, but it was four months," Ard said.
Stathams Landing family welcomed home
Four months later, just two weeks ago, they were able to move back in.
"That really felt good, and what doesn't feel good is all the stuff you have to do yourself. There is only so much the restoration company can do," Ard said.
The "stuff" -- unboxing items and fixing the back porch.
"We have glass everywhere back there still," Ard said.
184 days later, they are still cleaning up one piece at a time, but they are slowly getting back to normalcy.
"We are so thankful," Ard said.
Ard said it's great to be back here back in Stathams Landing.
She even came home to a hand-painted rock in her mailbox that said "welcome home."
Ard says some of her neighbors still haven't come back; and she says some don't plan to come back.
Two Fairways Drive lots now sit empty.
She said the damage at her home cost about $150,000, and her neighbors' about $80,000.