BAMBERG COUNTY, S.C. — Sunday afternoon, residents in Bamberg were continuing to clean up storm damage.
Johnny Freeman and his wife were outside their home, working to repair damage caused by an EF-2 tornado that ripped through the city on Tuesday and continued wind and rain that happened on Friday.
"We had a little bit of roof damage, the canopy, some screens, you know, but nothing that can't be repaired; it's all gonna be okay," Freeman said.
The downtown part of Bamberg is still being cleaned up as well. Jaquez Covington said his school at the Bamberg Job Corps plans to help with the wreckage as they continue to deal with their own.
"We didn't know what was going to happen and how it was going to happen, so staff and everyone was there trying to make sure everyone was safe. The damage has actually been a pretty big thing," Covington said.
Although there is still a long way to go, Covington said his community will pull through.
"We're a community so we know how to pull together every time something happens. It's just like life or the military; it always all comes together doing what it has to do to protect their people," Covington explained.
Johnny Freeman said that despite fixing a screen on his porch and patching a hole or two in the roof, he's thankful there's nothing more.
"We're all getting through it. The town came together; I'm pretty impressed with it. I've only been here since 2021, but they came together, and they knocked it out; we're still waiting on downtown, insurance and all, but everyone's safe, and that's what matters," Freeman said with a nod.
The City of Bamberg is still asking that everyone avoid the downtown area and that people not pick up any bricks near the Old City Hall building that toppled over in the storms.