Students of Ben Martin Elementary School in Fayetteville are back in class after a tornado devastated the campus last weekend. Forecasters say one of Saturday's fiercest tornadoes touched down in Cumberland County with maximum winds of 140 miles per hour. Damages to Ben Martin Elementary could be more than $5 million. Principal Crystal Brown surveyed the school grounds on the day of the storm.
Crystal Brown: "I saw teddy bears - dirty teddy bears - stuck against a fence, a little children's book lying on the ground, their clothing - because we do require them to carry an extra set of clothing with them - scattered amongst the debris. And that is the moment when I shed a lot of tears."
No injuries were reported in the incident. Students were back in class Wednesday morning down the road at E.E. Miller Elementary. Brown says they will attend class at two other schools after spring break next week until they can move back on to the Ben Martin campus. Administrators hope to reopen the school in December.
