Newcastle High School Students Help in Cleanup Efforts

Cleanup efforts continue Wednesday in Newcastle where dozens of homes were destroyed and 100 students checked out of school to help out.

When the tornado ripped through Newcastle, it came across Highway 37, destroying nearly 40 homes in this housing addition. Yards from homes, cars can be seen flipped over in piles of debris. Now with the help of some students from Newcastle High, families are starting to clean up.

"She said, ‘The door!' So Jason went for the door to hold it down. The latch was trying to come undone," Kala Leger said.

With their four kids, Jason and Kala Leger rode out the tornado in their storm shelter.

"We've been doing this for two minutes, it's almost over. As soon as we said that, it was complete calm" Leger said.

The calm after the storm was devastating. That's why dozens of Newcastle High students showed up Wednesday to help clear debris.

"It made me feel really sad for other people, just thinking about if it was my house," Dillon Lovecchio said.

"That's the part that really gets emotional is everybody really helping out," Jason Leger said.

Thursday is the last day of school for Newcastle High, and these students will be out in their community again to lend a hand.