Saturday was an absolutely delightful day with a deep blue sky and a warm breeze blowing up from the south. It was one of those days that makes you feel good just to be alive.
Heading out the Galen Road, I glanced outside the window at the beautiful spring scenery speeding by. I had almost forgotten the deadly tornado that tore our peaceful community apart back in February, until several miles out when I rounded a bend in the road and the devastation was suddenly still very vivid.
I finally pulled in the driveway at 7170, the home of Rusaw and Frances Carter, two very lucky tornado survivors.
Well actually, they're living in a trailer provided by FEMA right now while their new home is still under construction on the same site as the house that was completely destroyed.
After I knocked on the back door, Rusaw graciously invited me inside and we all sat down and got comfortable.
“I was born in 1923 right here in Macon County,” Rusaw said, “and I married Frances in 1944. We have both worked all our lives until retiring a few years back. We've raised four wonderful sons, Ronnie, Danny, Skip, and Tom, and we have six precious grandchildren.”
The Galen Road has been the Carter's home for many years, and on that night during early February, they had no idea that their lives were about to be drastically interrupted.
“I had been watching the weather reports on television on and off since early that afternoon on February 5th,” Rusaw recalled, “But that night when Lisa Patton said, ‘it's coming, take cover', I knew she meant business.”
Their son, Ronnie, who was with his parents that infamous night said, “I remember standing up and walking to the window and what I saw didn't seem possible. I'll never forget that horrifying feeling when I realized that ominous black funnel was heading straight for us.”
“Then I heard my mother scream at me, ‘don't you think we should get in the basement?' and tearing myself away from the window, we fled to the stairs.”
“I'm not ashamed to admit I was scared,” said Rusaw. “We headed down the steps, then turned to the left and hunkered down next to the couch. By that time my ears were already popping from the pressure.”
“It hit the garage door first, and then I remember it getting very still for about three or four seconds before it started tearing up the rest of the house.”
In the midst of the mayhem and madness, the chimney toppled down, landing just a few feet from where the Carter's were crouched on the floor and everything was sucked down that hole into the basement.
“Nails were actually being sucked out of the wood, glass was breaking, and debris was flying everywhere,” Rusaw explained. “I don't even know what happened to the roof, it's just seemed like the whole house exploded.”
When it finally calmed down, Rusaw and his family managed to find room to crawl out of the basement and into the back yard.
“I remember trying to get up the steps outside when a hand reached for mine,” Rusaw remarked. “I thanked God when I realized it was Dale Talada, our next door neighbor, whose family had somehow managed to survive by getting into the bath tub.”
“We probably shouldn't even be alive,” Rusaw said with tears in his eyes, “we could have been taken, but the good Lord spared us.”
It wasn't long before his family started arriving one by one, to make sure Rusaw and Frances were okay.
“Our family lives all up and down Galen Road and when they started showing up, I was overjoyed that they were all alive,” said Rusaw.
The Carters have been overwhelmed with the support they have received from everyone.
“People have been wonderful to us,” he continued, “and I'm amazed at the outpouring of support and concern we have received from family and friends. I am touched yet humbled by all the attention.”
The Carters would like to thank everyone for everything that has been done for them in their time of need. “Thanks to all the churches, FEMA, Farm Bureau, the county Sheriff's Dept. for patrolling our area, Tri-County, North Central and also thanks for the phone calls, donations, household items, and the prayers.”
“We have been face to face with death,” said Rusaw, “and the Lord brought us safely through, so most of all we would like to thank Him for his love and protection.”
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