Jimmy McNair and his sons watched Thursday afternoon as workers cleared trees and reroofed the barn at his 62-acre parcel on Louisville Road near Grovetown.
One tree, a 250-year-old oak, remained untouched where it fell April 10.
"I remember being a little boy and we had a swing tied to that tree," the 73-year-old said. "I'd swing on it all the time. We had birthday parties underneath it."
About 50 trees were knocked down when an EF1 tornado swept through the property once owned by his grandfather. Mr. McNair's 1968 Ford Ranger pickup was crushed by a falling oak.
"I should have parked it in the barn, but I just didn't," he said. "I wish I had."
As of Thursday, Mr. McNair said, he had not received an estimate from his insurance company and he worried that the foundation of his home might have been damaged.
"All this stuff can be fixed," he said. "I'm OK. I'm still healthy. That's what matters most."
He does have a single regret. About five years ago, he and his wife, Clara, remodeled their house and removed four fireplaces.
"I'd have had enough firewood to last me three lifetimes," he joked.
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