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Neighbors spend the day cleaning up after strong storms tear through Hanover and Caroline County

Posted at 3:13 PM, Jun 20, 2014
and last updated 2014-06-20 17:42:14-04

CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. -- Mother Nature proving once just how unpredictable she is.

Families in Caroline County have been working hard to clean up after a brutal storm hit home.

"We're in get it done mode right now so, there really isn't time to think about it."

Patty Rothberg and her family were inside their home when the storm hit. Rothberg and family witnessed a large tree come down during the storm, taking out their fence and a utility pole before puncturing the roof of their home.

"It was just a huge crack and thud and bang," Rothberg said. "But more than the tree was the actual rain and wind. It really sounded like a train coming through."

The storm's intensity tore through the neighborhood, leaving many with damage and even more without power.

In Hanover County, Rodney Watkins, who has called the Atlee area home for 35 years, there are some things that are certain; as the power from Mother Nature is sure to leave those throughout his community powerless during and after a storm.

"It's tremendously expected," Watkins said. "There are no ifs, ands or buts, it's going to happen at least once a year because we seem to have a lot of storms over in this area."

Thursday's storms were no exception, to what Watkins 'expects.' Strong winds coupled with heavy rain caused some trees to snap in half, while others were uprooted.

"It was just a bad situation," Watkins recalled.

Many of the fallen trees pierced through fences, blocked several roadways or left some power lines hanging low.

"I saw the two transformers across the street blow," Watkins said.

Fortunately no one was hurt, however hours later and the electricity was still out. But Watkins took full advantage of a nice breeze in the shade, as he watched crews clean up the trail of debris and damage left behind.

"There's nothing you can do about it--you just might as well take the good with the bad," Watkins said.