Nebraska tornadoes: Elkhorn home shifts off foundation, trapping woman taking shelter
Precarious situation made for a dangerous rescue
ELKHORN, Neb. (WOWT) - Comparing the moments after the tornado roared through an Elkhorn neighborhood to the state of things on Monday was night and day.
The chaos of debris is now more organized.
It seems like an odd thing to say when you’ve lived in the same home for 34 years. Take one look around though, and it’s easy to understand why that makes sense to her, or anyone else.
The landmarks and house numbers are all gone.
“It was like the wind pushed me into the dryer… which was right next to the water heater which fell over,” Nelsen said.
She was trapped.
“The house shifted off the foundation. I called my daughter and said, ‘I can see outside.’ And she goes, ‘Get away from the window.’”
Nelsen replied: “I am not by the window. I’m standing by the dryer. I can see outside.”
For 20 minutes, she waited. No one knew if the house would cave in on her or first responders.
On Monday, she was still working through the aftermath of the tornado.
“Still in shock and overwhelmed,” she said. “There are so many decisions and things to do. But my daughter is awesome. She’s helped me all my life. She’s amazing.”
With so many strangers volunteering with the clean-up, it’s hard to thank them individually. Spray painted messages should help get sentiment across.
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