By Kelly O'Connell Reporter
News 3 On Your Side
This Saturday will mark the one year anniversary of the deadly tornado that swept through News 3 On Your Side
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Stumble It!Americus.
The tornado destroyed Sumter Regional Hospital, many restaurants and stores throughout
Americus.
A number of homes were also damaged and two people were killed.
Since then, the town has been picking up the pieces and moving forward.
The devastation of the tornado has been felt by pretty much everyone in Americus.
And it's still felt to this day.
But thanks to a community coming together, victims are moving on.
News Three's tells the story of one man who was hit twice as hard when the tornado came through.
“The whole place has changed completely, you really don't have any privacy now,” says Marshall Welch as he looks out on his desolate land.
When the March first tornado swept through Americus, it swept away most of his home.
“As soon as we got on the floor, it sounded like the world was coming to an end, the actual roof blew off,” remembers Welch.
But it wasn’t just his home of 20 years that was destroyed by the storm.
Another place he calls home was hit.
“The devastation outside was bad the inside was worse, and unless you went in there, you could not believe how bad it was,” says Welch of the Sumter Regional Hospital.
Welch has been a nurse at the hospital for 33 years.
No matter how bad it was, you can always rebuild.
At least one of his homes is already rebuilt and the other is in the process.
But other things can't be fixed with tools.
“When the devastation hits, its almost overwhelmed cause you don't know what to do, you want to cry but you can't you don't know what to do, who to call on,” says Welch.
It's the pain that can't be seen that's harder to fix.
“I was really down and depressed, you can’t help that, I mean you work hard to get everything for 33 years and all of a sudden it’s gone in a minute,” says Welch.
A strong storm left Marshall with no place to call home.
But Marshall is strong too.
He knows the rebuilding won't be easy and it won't be done tomorrow.
But with the help of family, friends and a group of counselors, he knows that rebuilding will only make him stronger.
“They encourage us things are going to get better, in the future if you make it a week, then two weeks, and your house looks better in a month,” says Welch.
It's that encouragement that got Marshall through.
And helped him see that under all the rubble, life will go on.
One of the organizations that helped Welch and many other victims is Project CARE.
It's a counseling service to guide tornado victims through the pain of recovery and loss.
With the anniversary coming up, Project CARE says some victims may have a difficult time.
We're on your side with tips from Project CARE on how to best cope with the pain.
First, establish a normal routine.
Second, be active.
Also, use your family and friends for support.
It is normal to feel anxious or depressed during a time like this.
But do not hesitate to call for help.
The number to call is 1-800-342-7843.
