Tornado!
Monday, September 20
On Thursday, September 16, Cerwin and I delivered new chairs to Chaplain Jason & Shannon Nussbaum’s house. Because he was overseeing the TFC vendor booth at Wayne County Fair, he said it would be best to bring the chairs to their house, then he would take them to the Lodi Chapel on Friday.
During our visit, their daughter Christianna showed me her playhouse. It is a wonderful place for a little girl who likes to dress up and play house. We did not see Shannon that day, because she was at work.
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After leaving their house, we visited the Wayne County Fair, and those manning the TFC vendor booth – then proceeded west, with our goal being the Indianapolis Chapel dedication on Saturday.
We had not been on the Interstate very long when we saw an ominous-looking, black sky, and even looked for funnel clouds, but didn’t see any. We drove through heavy rain, and heard tornado warnings all evening as we watched the news in our motel room near Upper Sandusky, Ohio.
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The next morning I read on Pearl’s facebook that a tornado had taken the roof off Jason and Shannon’s house. So on the way home from Indiana today, we made plans to meet Jason and Shannon and his parents Gary and Pearl at the house.
This is what Christianna’s playhouse looked like today. It is not seriously damaged, but everything has been removed…
…and a large beam is holding up the ceiling in that room.
This is what we saw as we approached the house.
The house has been declared secure, so a construction company is installing a new roof.
The shed behind their house was destroyed by a fallen tree.
There are more than twenty trees down or partially down in their back yard.
The interior is the worst – with pieces of ceiling and insulation everywhere. This is where the kitchen table had been, and where we sat and visited with Jason just a few hours before the tornado hit.
Gary, Jason (pointing toward the ceiling), Shannon, Cerwin, and Pearl
Things that were ruined are being placed in this large trash container.
This is damage to an interior corner of Jason and Shannon’s bedroom.
The damage to the exterior of the same room.
This is the room in which Shannon and Christianna were standing when a neighbor called to make sure she knew a tornado was coming. (Jason had gone to the fair.) A tree came into this area and would surely have hurt them had they not hurried to the basement.
Shannon said she had just reached the bottom step when the tornado hit, and insulation came blowing down the steps.
Pearl checking out some items in the sink.
Insulation is everywhere, and those who spend much time in the house wear masks.
A fresh flower that I admired when we visited on Thursday is now covered with insulation.
How do you clean a window and screen that look like this?
More scenes from the back yard
An uprooted tree
Many friends and neighbors came on Friday and Saturday to cut up the fallen trees.
There are three large piles of wood chips from shredded branches.
The brick part of the chimney was blown off the roof, while the chimney liner stayed in place. By the time we arrived today, the liner had been removed.
By 6:30 p.m. today, this van was full (to the roof) of items this company removed for restoration and dry cleaning. They only took “soft” items. Two other companies will deal with furniture and the house.
Part of the roof that was blown off the house.
When I saw Christianna this evening, she told me that a “tomato” hit their house.
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Jason and Shannon are weary from having to make so many decisions in the past few days, but they are being uplifted by the Lord, and the help and prayers of their friends and neighbors.
Join us in praying for them.
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PS: The chairs we delivered were okay (and are safe at the chapel). That end of the garage was not seriously damaged, and because they were shrink-wrapped there was not any water or insulation damage.
