Family recounts heartbreaking experience of losing home in tornado


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WASHINGTON TERRACE, Weber County — Gaelynn Sewell was barefoot when it happened.

Her home's walls rattled. Shards of glass, debris and insulation swirled around her, slicing her legs. Her lungs filled with dust, and she could hardly breathe as she screamed for Paul, her husband — screams, she said, that seemed to go unanswered for an eternity.

But when Sewell burst through their bedroom door, there he was: lying facedown on the carpet, covering his head with his hands. Shaken but safe.

The Sewells' Washington Terrace home of 22 years, however, was a total loss. The tornado ripped off the roof and shattered all of the windows. Inside, their belongings were either crushed or covered in dust.

"Everything's ruined, but nobody's hurt," Sewell said, shaking her head as she stared at the ruins of her home. "That's what matters."

She broke into tears, however, when she thought of the one thing she hopes to eventually find intact when and if they're allowed to search through the rubble: a coffee mug, etched with the word "Dad." It was the mug she gave her now deceased father when she was 13.

"When he passed away, I got it back," Sewell said. "I had it hanging in the kitchen. If they'll let us in, that's at the top of my list."

Paul Sewell called their children with the news. Their daughter Morgan, 20, was at work, and their son Parker, 16, was at football practice.

At first, they thought he was joking.

"There's no way a tornado hit our house. We're in Utah. That never happens," Parker Sewell said.

But when they came home, they couldn't believe what they saw.

"I just dropped to my knees in the middle of the street," Morgan Sewell said. "It was unreal. It was like I was in a movie."

The Sewells' home near 200 East and 4700 South was one of 21 residences rendered uninhabitable by a tornado Thursday, the Weber County Sheriff's Office reported. No serious injuries were reported, but damage was estimated at more than $1.5 million.

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The twister uprooted trees, toppled garages, tore down fences, blew out car windows, and damaged hundreds of other properties throughout Weber County — mostly in Washington Terrace, Riverdale and South Ogden.

In Riverdale, a massive cottonwood tree was uprooted and crushed the home of Derick and Jennifer Christiansen and their son Caleb.

Jennifer Christiansen said she had gotten out of bed seconds before the tree came crashing into her room. It sounded like an explosion, she said.

"It was the first time in my life I was afraid for my life," she said.

The home will likely be torn down. Most of the Christiansens' belongings were destroyed. A GoFundMe page* has been established to help the family.

Patches of Weber County were left in a state of disarray after the twister touched down just before 4 p.m. Thursday. Broken glass, shingles, tree branches scattered the streets, and some sidewalks were blocked with felled power lines.

Family recounts heartbreaking experience of losing home in tornado

But Friday — though the weather was still bleak and rainy — brought a wave of volunteer cleanup efforts.

Throughout the afternoon, armies of volunteers scoured the neighborhoods. They swept the streets of broken glass, and went from yard to yard with chain saws, trucks and trailers, clearing lawns of debris and tree branches.

Laura Gamon, treasurer with Washington Terrace, said at least 400 volunteers arrived at the Washington Terrace Community Center asking how they could help. Hundreds of other volunteers organized themselves through LDS Church wards.

Washington Terrace ward members John Moss and Forrest Holden said they didn't think twice before starting work Thursday night and again at the crack of dawn Friday morning.

"It's just what you do," Moss said, covered in sawdust. "You get out, help your neighbors and make sure they're taken care of."

Andrew Giannitrapani, a soccer coach, came from Syracuse when he heard of the destruction. He said his games were canceled due to the weather, so he felt he had to do something to help rather than sit at home.

"We're all part of the same community," Giannitrapani said as he helped dissect a fallen pine tree and load it onto a trailer. His arms were scratched by the branches and his T-shirt was soaked by the rain, but he hardly seemed to notice. "It's cool to see people don't hesitate to come out and help."

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A second tornado tore through Panguitch on Thursday, ripping off the roofs of at least three structures. Yardley Insurance Agency at 609 N. Main was the hardest hit.

Despite the damage to his business and the fact that he'll have to work out of his home for the next several months, John Yardley said he was happy to see the community rally together. The local high school let students out of class to assist with the cleanup, and workers with backhoes and dump trucks from other communities arrived in Panguitch to help.

"It's the only time I got emotional. My heart is overflowing for all the good people," he said.

The Sewells, who are staying in a hotel while their insurance processes, said they were overwhelmed with the support the community has given them and others affected by the tornado, but they're not surprised.

"Everyone's been so amazing," Gaelynn Sewell said.

Throughout the day, neighbors came to check on her as she stood outside her house, sharing hugs, laughs and tears.

"When times get tough, people take charge around here and help each other," she said. "That's awesome. That's what we should do — take care of each other."

Gaelynn Sewell said she has "a lot of anxiety about what lies ahead for the next few months," but she's thankful for how supportive her insurance company has been so far.

"It's going to be OK," Paul Sewell said. "We don't have much, but we have each other. And that's most important."

Contributing: Brianna Bodily, Mike Anderson

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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