It’s been a year since disaster struck Gloucester. But while the April 16, 2011 tornado is a distant memory for many; for those who lived through it, and those left to mourn those who didn’t survive, memories of that traumatic day are still fresh in their minds.

It was early evening and dark clouds were looming on the horizon. Approaching from the York River, the twisters cut a devastating swath through homes in the Coke area, ripping apart Page Middle School and touching down in Ware Neck. Eventually, a tornado hit Deltaville, destroying homes and Zoar Baptist Church. Everywhere it went, eyewitnesses reported the tell-tale rumble of an approaching freight train. A few even glimpsed the frightening funnel cloud. Then, seconds of sheer bedlam that must have felt like hours; and, just as quickly as it came, it was gone.

While it was later determined that more than one tornado cut through the Middle Peninsula, the twisters followed a single straight line through the cent...