YADKINVILLE, NC -- Families and neighbors in Yadkinville are still stunned, two days after an EF-2 tornado touched down Wednesday night, ravaging parts of their community.
In total, 13 homes in Yadkin county were damaged and three were destroyed, according to Yadkin County Emergency Management Director Keith Vestal.
The tornado completely blew out both the front and back walls and ripped off part of the roof of the gym at Courtney Elementary School.
But the worst of the tornado's wrath was felt by neighbors who live about a quarter mile away.
Sheriff Ricky Oliver says Baity Road was the hardest hit road in all of Yadkin County and remains closed because of all the damage.
"I've lived here in this county all my life and this is the most damage I have seen, said Oliver. "It's just a tragic thing. Emotions are high. I can only imagine what they're going through."
On Friday, WFMY NEWS 2's Ben Powell rode along with Sheriff Oliver to tour the damage on Baity Road.
He asked us to shoot video from the car to respect the neighbors' privacy.
Several homes were damaged in the storm and some were destroyed.
The tornado completely leveled a barn, knocked down dozens of trees, and left a trail of twisted metal and debris.
"It's heartbreaking, really. It damaged homes and property. It changed things around here -- it changed the landscape," said Oliver. "It's something they might never get back in their lifetime."
An elderly woman who lives on Baity Road suffered a broken leg when a tree crashed on top of her house.
Firefighters had to rescue several people trapped inside their homes.
In the hours after the storm, crews went door-to-door, checking every damaged house for survivors.
They marked each one by painting a blue "X" after making sure nobody was trapped inside.
"You've got a lot of families who have been here throughout generations," said Oliver. "We all care about each other and love each other and we're just happy everyone is safe."
Oliver made the decision to shut down access to Baity Road shortly after the tornado passed through Wednesday night.
Since then, deputies have been stationed on both ends of the road, keeping guard day and night, to protect homeowners who are vulnerable to thieves and scam artists.
"That's the least we can do as law-enforcement, said Oliver. "Provide them with a sense of security while they're trying to get their lives back to normal. It's just one less thing they have to worry about. They have plenty on their shoulders right now."
Oliver says Baity Road could be reopened on Saturday but it could take months until the Courtney neighborhood looks normal again.
Families, neighbors, city crews, and volunteers spent Thursday and Friday working together to clean up debris.
Roy Douglas, who has lived in Yadkinville his entire life, says it's going to take the help of the whole community to rebuild.
"It's a very friendly, close knit community that works together and goes to church together," said Douglas. "Most everybody around here went to school together. Even if you didn't, if you're a neighbor and you have a problem, we want to help them."
The American Red Cross is helping to find shelter for seven people who were displaced from their homes.
Yadkin Co. Tax officials are in the process of surveying the hardest hit areas to determine the total cost of all the damage.