HARLAN, Iowa (KMTV) — On April 26 the storm that devastated Minden also tore north through Shelby County. Multiple farmsteads were heavily damaged including the farmhouse, equipment and buildings on Trevor and Dianne Langenfelds' farm.
- Dianne was in the basement with their three-year-old daughter, Helen. Trevor could see the storm from a few miles away.
- "Oh, it was very stressful at the moment and you wonder if you're going to get through it,” said Trevor. “But we did and it's actually working out really good right now."
- In November they welcomed a second daughter, Ainsley, and the walls are going up in their new home. Dianne is excited to have a fireplace and a new kitchen.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
There have been some big changes at the Langenfeld family farm since I first met them a few days after the April 26 tornadoes.
I'm Southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter Katrina Markel.
I'm here because we have some exciting updates on this farm family that lost so much.
The interior walls are going up inside Trevor and Dianne Langenfeld's new home in rural Harlan.
Their three-year-old daughter Helen just wants to play.
Katrina to Helen, looking into camera: "Can we wave?"
But it's been a stressful year for the family. Their farmhouse, outbuildings and equipment were damaged or destroyed in the Arbor Day tornadoes. It affected the three-year-old, too.
"Right now, it's still loud noises are bothering her," Dianne said.
Dianne was in the basement with Helen at home. Trevor could see the storm from a few miles away.
"Oh, it was very stressful at the moment and you wonder if you're going to get through it,” said Trevor. “But we did and it's actually working out really good right now."
"It will be nice to have a new kitchen and have everything new and everything ours," said Dianne.
Getting there wasn't a smooth process, though. The Langenfelds received $750 from FEMA for personal belongings but because the agency said they had enough insurance, Dianne told me that's all they got from FEMA.
"I mean, I don't understand why emergency aid isn't going to help people in emergencies," she said.
A USDA loan helped pay for a new grain bin and auger. And despite insurance paying for a lot, they'll still be out of pocket for many expenses. Still, Trevor finds reasons to be upbeat.
"Harvest was really good," he said.
And the house and the machine shop aren't all that's new. Baby Ainsley was born just before Thanksgiving.
"She's healthy, we're all healthy,” said Dianne.
What are they looking forward to this year?
"My fireplace, honestly,” Dianne said. “I had one growing up and I miss having one."
"Hopefully get back to normal,” said Trevor.
In case you're wondering, three-year-old Helen told me she wants to paint her room purple and her sister's room pink.
