JANESVILLE — Andrew Storjohann doesn’t remember the tornado obliterating the garage in which he was standing.
He recalls the basketball hoop and then a few tree branches falling down as a storm moved in Thursday evening while he watched from the garage of his rural Janesville home.
His next flash of memory was lying on the ground and looking up at the sky.
His memory gets foggy again as he apparently realized he had just been struck by a tornado and called for help.
Storjohann’s home on 405th Avenue northwest of Janesville was destroyed by what the National Weather Service has confirmed was an EF1 tornado.
It was one of 10 tornado touchdowns now confirmed in southern Minnesota that night.
Storjohann somehow walked away with only minor injuries.
“Mother Nature had it in for me, but there was a guardian angel watching out for me,” the father of four said Monday as he sifted through what remains of his home.
Storjohann didn’t have insurance and doesn’t know how he’ll afford to rebuild.
But he’s counting his blessings.
“At least no one got hurt bad,” he said.
His children weren’t visiting when nature decided to test his faith. His dog and cats have found their way back to what’s left of his house and appear to be unscathed.
Storjohann himself has just minor scrapes and bruises. He also has some road rash that suggests the tornado took him for ride. He’s not sure if he was sucked out of the garage or if he was still inside what was his garage when he looked up and saw the sky.
“It’s all kind of a blur.”
Storjohann’s attached garage was demolished. The rest of his home has no roof and was damaged beyond repair. The silo that was a remnant of the farm on which his father grew up also was destroyed, as were his pickups and several trees.
Several neighbors also lost trees. One neighbor’s home also was damaged and a barn and other outbuildings were destroyed. Storjohann suffered the worst damage and was the only person injured.
Miriam Goughnour went to her ex-husband’s home minutes after the tornado struck.
“I was just stupefied by the damage,” she said. “I wouldn’t wish this on anybody.”
Storjohann had let his homeowner’s insurance lapse because he couldn’t make ends meet following an amicable divorce.
To help him rebuild, Storjohann’s family and friends have started a fundraising page (www.gofundme.com/andrew-storjohann-tornado-relief).
Storjohann is a delivery driver for the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and his boss is trying to secure him financial assistance from a company employee disaster assistance fund.
Storjohann said he also is grateful for the friends, family, neighbors and even strangers who have helped him salvage some of his belongings and begin to clean up.
“That’s the great thing about being in a small town. Everyone helps out,” he said.
Storjohann is staying with his mother in Janesville and his work is giving him as many days off as he needs while he picks up the pieces.
“I’m just taking it one day at a time.”
by Kristine Goodrich (2018, September 25) Mankato Free Press
