(NECN: Eileen Curran, Springfield, Mass.) – June 1, 2012 marks the one-year anniversary of devastating tornadoes in western Massachusetts.
Those storms destroyed homes and businesses. They changed some peoples’ lives forever.
Eileen Curran has one family’s story.
Despite these really sad scars, there are many hopeful stories of people who are rebuilding their homes and their lives following the tornadoes.
Idil Hussein remembers a year ago, seeing a tornado rip through her neighborhood and the fear it brought to her and her siblings.
The tornado damaged her family’s home but didn’t destroy it. The garage and two cars were not spared. The family had no insurance.
Money from FEMA has helped them replaced the 32 broken windows, the battered doors and the sheared off siding.
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The kindness of strangers has helped, too.
The family is Muslim and says the Christian Church down the street sent volunteers to clean up the debris from their yard and bought new mattresses for their children.
Bedel Ahmed can’t thank them enough.
Although miles away, Tuesday’s tornado watch set them in motion.
The family set up rugs and blankets in their basement and put cardboard in the window.
Thirteen-year-old Baidin Hussein says it has taught her a valuable lesson.
The girls say they suffered a lot of nightmares, but now only have them occasionally.
