Picking up pieces after tornado

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Sisters Terri Lynn Woodard, left, and Carol Hopple stand next to what was the duplex they shared.
Woodard’s daughter, Naelynn Lee, 5, looks on. (Photos: J.D. Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune)

Two Wood County families who lost their homes in last month’s tornadoes are
continuing to pick up the pieces.Carol Hopple never thought she’d have to say it – she’s lost
everything.After the Nov. 17 tornado hit the Jerry City duplex she shared with her sister, husband and
niece, Hopple is trying to figure out where to start rebuilding.She can’t start that process at her home.
The high-speed winds damaged the Main Street duplex so badly that it’s been demolished down to its
foundation.She had no idea an evening of Sunday football would turn into a night she’d never
forget."Until we lifted our heads off the ground, we didn’t know what we were lifting our heads up
to," Hopple said. "Everything we have is gone."The tornado left the family with six totaled
cars, shattered Christmas presents, no clothes and no roof over their heads.Hopple and her family are now
living on air mattresses at her mother Mary Woodard’s house about a mile away."We’re all holding
together and now it’s starting to settle in more for them that they have nothing," Woodard said.
"They’re taking it day by day."Taking it day by day is made tougher for this family because they
didn’t have Renters Insurance.None of their belongings were covered."We’re pretty much going to have to
start over completely," Hopple said. "People keep coming up to us and saying ‘at least you had
Renters Insurance.’ We didn’t."

Naelynn Lee, 5, stands where the home once stood where she and her mother, Terri Lynn
Woodard, lived before a tornado destroyed their duplex.

The Red Cross has stepped in with aid for Hopple and her sister, Terri Lynn Woodard.Although
they appreciate it, it’s still not enough to rebuild a life."It’s a start," Terri Lynn said.
"Anything helps. Anything."Losing her home and most of her toys has been especially hard for Terri
Lynn’s daughter, Naelynn Lee, 5.Naelynn and her mom had only been living in the duplex for about five
months."She liked having her own space and bedroom. She liked her alone time with me," Terri Lynn
said. "Now it’s different."Although Carol and her family know they can never replace pictures they
lost and memories they made, they’re thankful they made it through the storm."I think everybody takes
every day for granted. It doesn’t matter who you are," Hopple said. "Now, it’s hard for me to take
any day for granted."On that same Sunday less than ten miles away in North Baltimore, Desirae Buchman
thought she was going to die.Buchman, along with her husband Tye, her son Nathan, 9, and some family friends
and their two children, was watching some deer near her residence when the tornado struck her Quarry Road
home."To be honest, I didn’t think I was going to live," Buchman said. "It was the scariest
thing I’ve ever been through."The ordeal lasted for just a couple seconds and left one of the children
with lacerations and Nathan with injuries."A wall fell on him," Buchman said. "He had to get
a head CT and see if there was trauma to his kidneys."Nathan has since been given a clean bill of
health "by the grace of God."Just like the Hopple and Woodard’s home, what’s left of Buchman’s is
currently being demolished.The family is staying at Tye’s aunt’s house for the time being.Buchman said she
was fortunate enough to have Renters Insurance and most of her family’s things were covered."We’re
doing okay," Buchman said. "We’re putting one foot in front of the other, trying to figure out our
next step."That first step might be finding out why it took nearly two hours for emergency crews to
reach Bachman the night of the storm after she called 911."That’s what I’m most frustrated about.
Nobody cared. Nobody came," Buchman said. "We want to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone
else."While she’s still looking for answers, Buchman is thankful to the people who did help out."I
want to say thank you to the Red Cross for coming through, our friends, family, and the North Baltimore
community," Bachman said. "We’re just most thankful that we’re alive."Donations for the
Buchman family may be sent to 16337 Quarry Road, North Baltimore, Ohio 45872.Those wishing to donate to the
Hopple and Woodard family can do so at PO Box 215 Jerry City, Ohio 43437.Donations are also accepted for
Terri Lynn Woodard and her daughter at any Huntington Bank and at Woodforest National Bank for Carol Hopple
and her husband Josh.

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