Family recovering after home destroyed by tornado

Mom suffered a concussion, while oldest son broke some bones

ELON, Va. – Communities in Central Virginia are coming together to dig through devastation.

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service upgraded the intensity of Sunday's tornado to an EF-3.

Amherst County was one of the hardest hit areas, with more than 20 homes destroyed.

As the tornado moved through an Elon neighborhood, it ripped apart the Childress family house and their life as they knew it.

This was the home that David and Sharon Childress built nine years ago, but if you adjust the slider you can see the damage done by Sunday's tornado.

"It's the worst feeling ever to know that your childhood was right here in this house and it's just gone," said Connor Childress, one of David and Sharon's sons.

And it isn't just a childhood lost on Partridge Place. This fallen home now holds heartbreak and the indescribable fear of losing family.

Sharon and her oldest son, Bryson, were the only ones home at the time the tornado ripped through Sunday. 

"She said she literally heard the gust of wind and saw the back of the house lifting and when it lifted, it just blew her to the front of the house," David said.

David was minutes away picking up two of his sons, not knowing what was headed toward his house.

Days later, David says he can't help but feel a little guilt. 

"There's no way to describe that when, you know, you left and my wife and my oldest son were in this house," David said.

Sharon escaped with a concussion and some bruising.

Bryson has broken bones, broken ribs and almost lost his eye, but the family says their spirits have been good.

As David stands on the foundation of what used to be, his heart is a little broken, but mostly he is grateful. 

"The only way I can describe how they survived that is that God was here and kept them safe," David said. 

A family thanking God for miracles in the midst of a devastating disaster. 

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the Childress family.