On July 8, 2016, one of the biggest storms Boone has seen in decades swept through the town. Rumors began to sweep through social media of a tornado sighting; however, authorities say that though conditions were rough, there was not a tornado. The wind reached speeds of 60-70 miles per hour and caused incredible damage in many parts of Watauga County and surrounding areas.

“The sky opened up and began to pour with an intensity unlike any I have ever witnessed,” says Annie Miller. Miller was in Todd to tube on the New River with some friends. In an effort to find shelter, they ran and came across a house on a stretch of road around the corner. “The barn roof had been ripped off, the corn field was ripped through, shingles ripped off of the house, lawn furniture in pieces," she said.

The barn roof is not the only roof that was blown off of the structure it was attached to. Members of the Boone community began posting pictures of the damage to their own homes the day after the storm hit, which included many roofs that had caved in.

Perhaps the most well known damage in the community is with Nathan's Walk. This is an apartment complex located behind the courthouse on King Street. All residents were told that they could no longer stay in the unit. Many cars are still under roof debris, among other personal belongings.

"I heard it outside my window and was like holy [redacted]! I think that's a tornado," Chris Love, a resident of Nathan's Walk, said. Love also described that when he went outside to check on the situation, "I hear[d] people outside calling for their animals."

Many questions have been raised about the obligations of Appalachian Management Services (AMS). AMS owns this property, as well as many other apartments and homes in the area that suffered heavy damages. According to Joshua Piercy, a graduate student studying at Appalachian State University, "[I] can't say anything regarding estimates/coverage. I rent my home through Appalachian Management, who has been silent on the issue." Residents in the county have lost their home, cars and many belongings and it is unclear how the damages will be covered and who is responsible for what.

During the storm, many good samaritans opened up their homes to those who were stuck on the road and stranded. Mary Cain says, "[While in my car], I started getting blown off the road and I saw branches coming down so I pulled over in the first driveway I saw. I thought it was very unlikely, but that I was in the middle of a tornado. I parked my car and ran to the door of the house I parked at. When I got out of the car I could hear the storm - it sounded like a low humming noise. I started frantically knocking on their door. The man who lived there was nice enough to let me in and I told him what was going on. At that moment the furniture on his porch got blown off and tree branches starting falling. We got inside and waited out the storm until it was safe for me to leave."

Annie Miller described her experience at the house that she found shelter in while tubing at Todd: "The man who lives there came home almost immediately after we made it to his house. He kindly scooped us up and blasted us with some heat before we got to work removing trees from the road that he was cutting with his chainsaw so we could drive out. We shared a beer with him before we hugged and parted ways. Forever grateful for him and his generosity & humbled by all of the things that almost went terribly wrong, but did not. "God things," I like to call them."

People were hard at work all night trying to remove branches and trees that fell in the way of the roads. Early the next morning, firemen and other city officials were seen clearing roads.

More photos of the sky after the storm have begun circulating on Facebook, and has been a reminder of the beauty around us in the Boone community, even after natural disasters.

The town of Boone has truly rallied together to help those who experienced devastation from the storm. It is truly amazing to see how our community is able to support one another and help each other out when Mother Nature hits in a way that Boone has rarely seen. No deaths occurred as a result of the storm in Boone, however, our hearts go out to the families in Tennessee and surrounding communities who lost loved ones that day.

This is what makes our community special. It's not just the majestic mountains, orange sun, clear waters and soul food. It's also the people. The combination of college students, community members, farmers, and other professionals creates a unique blend of individuals that makes Boone one of a kind.