Other Towns Hit By Tornado Try to Pick Up the Pieces

By: Risa Avila

Updated: Mon 8:30 PM, May 24, 2004

As people in Hallam begin to pick up the pieces, so are some other residents in nearby towns. Areas of Holland and Bennet were also hit.

The storm moved over the rolling hills northeast toward Holland, destroying a dozen homes and damaging many others.

“I had five grain bins over here and some of them are over the hill,” says Bob Wubbels of Holland whose home was destroyed by the storm, “I said I’m going to come up here and look though these blinds to see where its at and I heard this tremendous roar and went right back down, by the time I hit the bottom step, it was gone.”

Bob and his wife lost their home and farm equipment.

“I told her we have each other, we’re going to rebuild.” says Wubbels.

After hitting the area near the Wubbels, the storm tore through the countryside and on to Bennet.

“Our lights went out at about 8:30 and we were standing with flashlights, watching the lightning right here by these kitchen windows,” says Keith King of south Bennet whose home was also destroyed, “It sounded like somebody was beating on the house just real fast, she headed for the basement she headed for the door and I never got there, the wind pushed me clear through the house.”

In a matter of seconds, King says it was over.

As the Kings look at their home that stood for almost ninety years, they think of their family and friends who came to pitch in.

“I am real grateful, I didn’t know I had so many friends.” says King.

Columbus Police Investigate Suspicious Death