Seventy-four farmsteads in Shelby Countywere badly damaged by the Arbor Day tornadoes. After tearing through Minden, the storm veered north through the county, narrowly missing Harlan, Shelby, Tennant and other towns, but causing massive damage to ag operations and rural homes. A year later, the community is rebuilding.
- The county had $95 million in damage because farm houses, outbuildings, hog confinements and equipment were damaged and destroyed.
- The Langenfeld family lost two homes. Trevor and Dianne live on the "home place" with their two daughters. Trevor's parent live about a mile to the south — the tornado destroyed the elder Langenfeld's dream home.
- As the storm hit, Dianne, who was a few weeks pregnant huddled under the basement stairs with her toddler, Helen. She felt the tornado hit the house as debris "swirled" down the stairs.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Dianne Langenfeld: "Well, hopefully we're on the downhill slide."
I first visited the Langenfeld family farm six days after the Arbor Day tornadoes just destroyed their family farmstead.
I'm Southwest Iowa Neighborhood Reporter Katrina Markel.
Despite that devastation, it’s actually been really fun to come back over the last year, off and on, to check in with this family and see the progress that they’re making.
Three-year-old Helen tells her mom she wants a bedroom that’s "purple and sparkly." It’s going in their new house.
"But you know, we got lucky. A lot of people were a lot worse off than we were," Dianne said.
Their home was destroyed.
Trevor Langenfeld watched it happen from another part of their family farm.
He called Dianne just in time to warn her.
Trevor: "I just had an idea it could head that way."
Dianne: "I had just found out I was pregnant like two weeks before it happened."
After tearing through Minden, the storm cut a path — roughly 30 miles — through Shelby County, hitting 74 farmsteads, including Trevor and Dianne Langenfeld's.
"I mean you just hear this huge boom," said Dianne "There was this huge swirl of debris coming down the stairs. So I just sat under the stairs with her (Helen) and just waited for Trevor."
"You're just hoping everyone's okay and yeah, it sucks to lose equipment and buildings and stuff, but at least that's all replaceable at least," Trevor said.
These farmers didn’t shy away from the work ahead, rebuilding their home, and preparing for another planting season.
Steve Kenkel: "They got hit hard!"
It was Steve Kenkel’s last year as a county supervisor.
"Did not expect this," said Kenkel. "This was so eye-opening and heart-wrenching, really. They inspired me how they put it in perspective."
Trevor said, "Makes a big difference when people go to bat for you."
"...Be prepared, have a plan, know what you are going to do if something like this were to happen," Dianne said.
Dianne hopes they’ll be in their new home by the end of May.
