Nappanee celebrates "Grand Reopening" after Oct. tornado

by Kelli Cheatham (kcheatham@wsbt.com)

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Nappanee held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, June 14, 2008 to celebrate a "grand reopening" of the town eight months after a devastating tornado. (WSBT photo)

By WSBT News1

Story Created: Jun 14, 2008 at 2:14 PM EST

Story Updated: Jun 18, 2008 at 4:50 PM EST

NAPPANEE — It's been 8 months since an F-3 tornado ripped through Nappanee. It destroyed dozens of homes and several local businesses. Three months later, fire destroyed a historic downtown building. Saturday, the town celebrated a "grand reopening."

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In the hours and days after the October 18, 2007 tornado, people who lived through it shed many tears and shared the feelings of devastation.

In a ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday, Nappanee Mayor Larry Thompson said the city has come a long way in the rebuilding process.

"Nappanee is open for business!" he said.

For many people who live and work there, it's a celebration of how far they've come.

"It's been a long road back," Sandy Miller told WSBT.

"It's just overwhelming to see people come together like they do," explained Nappanee police Captain Dana Hollar.

The day after the tornado, you couldn't walk down the street, let alone drive down it. But today it's a much different story.

"It's just great to see the street look so good," said Miller. "New houses, porches, people just getting together."

Volunteers came from all over to help rebuild.

"We had to shut the roads off because we couldn't let people into town because people were coming to volunteer so much," Hollar said.

Josh Brown recently finished building his new home, after the F-3 tornado ripped the roof off the old one.

Sandy Miller still has a tough time talking about it.

"The emotions are unreal," she said after taking a deep breath. "You can't describe how you feel when everything you've worked for all your life is gone."

But just like everyone else, Miller salvaged what she could and re-built. She says that was her only choice.

"What do you do, other than pick up and get on with your life?" she asked.

Nobody was killed in the tornado. There were a few minor injuries. The town is planning one-year anniversary ceremony on October 18, 2008.

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