Goodman still rebuilding one year after devastating tornado
The EF2 tornado that hit this community of 1,200 on
The old home, which had stood for 80 years, had to be completely rebuilt.
Construction workers were recently installing drywall and making measurements for new kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. The exterior of the house is nearly complete, although workers still need to put in the front steps leading to their porch.
The Willmans regularly check up on the progress.
"We just can't wait to get back home,"
The retired couple and their granddaughter,
Despite the loss and the yearlong rebuilding effort,
Insurance covered most of their loss, and even allowed for an upgrade -- their new house, at 1,600 square feet with three bedrooms, will be larger than the previous one.
In some ways, the Willmans' story is typical for
In some ways, it isn't. Many residents who sustained some level of home and property damage did not have insurance, and no federal money was provided for the recovery and rebuilding, meaning
The tornado struck at
'Resilient'
"The people of
"It's been quite a recovery process -- some of it happened pretty quick, and some of it didn't," he said.
"It's been tough for those residents because they had to use money out of their own pockets or find other ways to rebuild their home," Richmond said.
"People were coming to help every day," Tuomola said.
A former
Lowe's Home Improvement provided building materials at cost, and Tuomola's 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom house was completed in November.
Tuomola said he's grateful to have had the community rally behind him in a time of need.
Tuomola said that when the tornado struck, he was remodeling his home and was about 80 percent done. He said he had spent about
"It was pretty wild to see," he said. "I was mortified. ... I thought this was it. I was going to die, but I didn't."
His 73-year-old uncle,
Richmond said the community is grateful for all the help it received. Several nearby fire districts responded that night, conducting search and rescue operations, going door to door to see if anyone was injured or needed help. The two fire stations in
"I'm just thankful that nobody got really hurt. ... We were pretty fortunate,"
The city also plans to rebuild its community building, which was insured for
"It was quite a humbling experience to see how people from all over the area gave their time and energy to help
Estes said the town was also fortunate in that the tornado hit at night, when all the children were out of school.
The school was the heart of the community, he said, and the place where people gathered for various events. When the school was destroyed, it was as if part of the town's identity was taken away, Estes said.
"I hope the school will help revitalize this town so that the community continues to grow," he added.
A couple of weeks ago, the district reached a settlement with its insurance carrier for
The district is still awaiting to hear whether it will receive
Last fall, the district hired
Goodman Principal
"We want to let the community know that the kids are coming back home," Hamilton said.
'Together We Rise'
Students will be bused in from
School administrators will organize games and activities for the children and will also provide food and drinks.
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