As reported by NBC 4
School officials are trying to figure out how to rebuild and residents are cleaning up debris after two tornadoes touched down in the region on Sunday.
Officials at George E. Peters Seventh Day Adventist School in Chillum said students will not be able to return to class there this year because of damage from an F-1 tornado, which touched down in Chillum at about 2:35 p.m.
Fire officials said the roof over the auditorium was ripped off and natural gas was flowing from damaged lines inside the school when responders arrived Sunday at the school in the 6300 block of Riggs Road.
Officials said the school's water system went off when the roof blew away, causing severe water damage inside.
"It made me cry last night just to see the destruction of our school that we love," said parent Chris King-David.
"We just put in about 10 grand in computers, and we got a new projector," said computer teacher Gabrielle Agwu. "I have the laptop. I've been working on that room for years, so it is heart-wrenching, but I know that there's a reason for it."
There was one teacher in the school at the time, officials said, but she was able to exit the building safely.
"I looked out the window because it was so strong, and, of course, I said a prayer for protection," said teacher Karen McKinnie. There were no injuries.
Keith Proctor of Guye's Limousine Service was waiting to drive a bride from her wedding at the Metropolitan Seventh-Day Adventist Church when the tornado hit.
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," he said. "I've only seen this on TV or a movie."
Proctor said he saw shingles were coming off the churchtop. Part of the roof landed on his Hummer limousine.
"And (it) stayed there for less than, I give it 10 seconds, took off again and landed back down on the parking lot," Proctor said.
The vehicle suffered some scratches, and two windows shattered but did not break, thanks to safety glass.
Classes at the school, which serves children in prekindergarten through eighth grade, have been canceled for the next few days as the damage is assessed. School officials said they are optimistic that they will be able to salvage the building. Principals from three other Seventh Day Adventist schools in the area are trying to find room for the displaced students.
"What we're going to do is just see the numbers that we have and look at the classrooms that we have available that we can maybe consolidate and give them several rooms that they can use," said Dunbar Henri with Takoma Academy.
Parent Olive Wilson came to see the damage herself Monday morning. She broke the news to her third-grade son Sunday.
"He was very devastated. I could hear it in his voice that he was sad. He was asking, 'When am I going to go to school?'" Wilson said.
"I think we will rebuild. With the community's support and the church's support, we'll rebuild," said parent Charlene Williams. "The children have to realize this is the real world, and things like this are going to happen."
"Our children are very, very resilient," said school board Chairman Sandy Crank. "They are strong children. They come from strong families, and I believe that they will be able to handle this."
Firefighter John Chrisman was on duty when he stepped outside his station and saw the funnel cloud.
"It wasn't a classic funnel cloud. There was no noise like a freight train or anything like that," Chrisman said. "It was just a funnel cloud with debris flying. It got real dark. It wasn't something that you normally see on the TV, but it was definitely a funnel cloud."
Authorities said a nearby Seventh Day Adventist church sustained minor damage from flying debris. A large construction trailer was overturned and numerous trees were downed. Several homes and buildings in the community sustained minor damage from high winds and downed trees and numerous power lines were knocked down.
The same storm also caused an F-0 tornado to blow through Waldorf. The storm had 80 mph winds. It was about 50 yards wide and stayed on the ground for about two miles, according to the National Weather Service.
Many of the residents said they were caught off guard. There are no warning sirens in the area.
"The rain really increased, and it seemed like the wind picked up a lot, and I screamed to my husband, 'There's something going on,'" said Denise Cole, whose home was damaged. "About the time I thought, 'Oh my God, it's a tornado,' it was just bam, boom and everything was down."
A massive tree toppled in her yard, but took just a few inches off the front of her home. Cole said she feels blessed that more damage wasn't done.