KOKOMO, Ind. — When Kokomo was hit by an EF3 tornado on Aug. 24, the storm laid waste to homes, businesses and other structures – leaving around 200 houses destroyed or in need of dramatic repairs.
One of those homes belonged to Renee Brown, and now, after over two months, she’s found herself in a new one.
Brown lived in Cedar Crest, a neighborhood that was ravaged twice – once in 2013 and again in 2016 by powerful tornados.
She was lucky the first time, with the 2013 storm only causing minor damage to her home. In 2016, however, the house was destroyed – with Brown and her son inside.
Looking through a large window that August afternoon, she could see the tornado approaching. She called to her adult son, Josh, to take a look. She could see debris flying through the air, and said Josh initially thought they were looking at a flock of birds.
It wasn’t birds, Brown insisted, and they laid down in a hallway, with Josh on top of her to provide protection.
“I say this, it sounds weird, but it’s exactly just like the ‘Wizard of Oz,'” said Brown, who much like Dorothy, found a different world around her when the storm subsided.
When the funnel had passed over the house, Brown said they weren’t in the clear yet, as debris from the roof fell down around them and on top of them.
“First, I thought we were going to die because of the tornado. Then, I thought we were going to die because of the stuff falling on us. Then, when the stuff stopped falling on us, then my face was buried in insulation, and I thought, ‘my luck, I will survive the tornado and die of inhaling insulation,'” Brown said.
But they survived, and when everything had settled they were able to take stock of the damage that had been done – which was extensive, leaving the house unsalvageable.
“It’s been tough,” said Brown, who took time to thank all the volunteers who gave time to clean up the debris at Cedar Crest.
She also expressed thanks to Security Federal Bank and Roger Rayburn, mortgage loan originator, who helped her with finances to cover expenses that her home owners insurance couldn’t cover, and The Hardie Group Real Estate Company, who helped her close on her new house in Kokomo.
“Through it all, I just feel blessed,” she said. “A lot of people have it worse,” she added, saying not everyone who lost property had insurance.
Since the storm, Rayburn said he had been helping her out almost from the start, and she plans on getting into the new house by mid-November.
Brown said, financially, she had the option to rebuild or to move.
“And it was a really hard decision because I love Cedar Crest, I really did,” she said, but added that her daughter lives about four minutes away from the new location, so that helped to seal the deal. For the past couple of months, she had been staying at the Hampton Inn in Kokomo – something that her insurance helped her with.
The evening of Oct. 25 there was a key ceremony in front of the house, which had a Hardie Real Estate sign in front, with a bold, red “Sold” stamped across the front. During the ceremony, the home’s previous owners handed the key over to Brown, who, once again said how supportive everyone had been.
“I appreciate everybody,” she said.
By CODY NEUENSCHWANDER
Photo by @TEEJAYCRAWFORD “A truck was slammed against a car during severe weather in Kokomo, Indiana, on Aug. 24, 2016.”
