Tornado Damage

Yesterday, my son helped clear trees and debris at tornado-damaged farms south of us. He took the photos on this post. The farms are located northwest of Dunkerton.

****************

****************

Keep in mind that no one died or was injured at any of these locations. The residents were either away from home at the time of the storm, or they were hunkered down in the basement with their loved ones.

Much post-storm activity at the farmstead shown in the next photo.......corn needed to be trucked away from a collapsed bin.......and livestock removed from fallen buildings. Machinery sheds all blew down.......the back half of the house roof is gone........and see the mangled trees.

SO MANY trees went down!

This entire neighborhood is simply a mess of devastation. It leaves me stunned and speechless. I grew up on this road.......my brother lives at the homeplace now; his house survived intact, but the roof over the bedroom area was peeled away. Rain poured in and the ceilings fell down. My brother says they can sleep under the stars now!





My brother videotaped the tornado bearing down on the neighborhood........that is, until he saw the neighbor's bins and buildings being popped into the air like ping-pong balls, he said. Then he decided it was time to run to the basement to join his wife and children. His video is on the KDSM-TV website (within the video link entitled "Survivors Recall Moments of Terror").

So much material loss in the area! As I imagine those folks hunkered down in their basements with the monster storm roaring overhead, I imagine that in such a moment your priorities are completely galvanized. You know what truly matters, and it is the people huddled with you. That is it. You have no control over what's going on above you; as long as your loved ones are safe, that's what counts.