On a rain-soaked Friday morning, Macon County Mayor Shelvy Linville placed a wreath on the Tornado Monument outside the Macon County Courthouse. He did so in memory of the victims who lost their lives in the tragic event of Feb. 5, 2008.
The tornado left a trail of carnage that will never be forgotten. A Macon County Times report the week of the tragedy listed 194 homes completely destroyed, 63 more with severe structural damage and 54 more homes with enough damage to make them uninhabitable. Antioch Church, which has since rebuilt, was also lost in the tornado's onslaught. And reports indicated that the families in 257 households were rendered at least temporarily homeless by the event.
Two years and the cold rains of Friday, however, cannot dampen the loss of those who perished during that fateful event.
The mayor placed the wreath in memory of: Mark Aaron Brown, Carol Irene Boyd, Javier Castillo Bueno, William "Bill" Clark, Johnnie Doolin, Dixie Marie Ellis, Stanley Eugene Francis, William "Tom" Manier, Rex Douglas Payne, Courtney Lynn Payne, Joan Rodriguez, Jimmy Carter Shaw, Pablo Osorio, Michael L. Welch, Julie Welch, Jesse Welch, Hannah Welch, and Randy Wilkerson.