Tornado Destroys Family's Dream Home After They Finished 7-Year Renovation: 'So Overwhelming'
The couple had only lived in the home for a year before the tornado destroyed their hard work
'I saw our retirement, our every dime we had was flat,' Umana-Hollinshed told ReutersA family spent seven years renovating their dream home in St. Louis. Now, a tornado has torn it to shreds.
It was just after 2:40 p.m. local time on Friday, May 16 when a tornado touched down in Clayton, just outside of the city, according to the National Weather Service.
The EF-3 twister, which had maximum winds up to 152 mph, caused vast amounts of damage and ripped through northern St. Louis.
One of the homes destroyed by the tornado belonged to Uyama Umana-Hollinshed, who told Reuters that she and her wife, Vanessa, spent seven years renovating the home before it was ripped apart.
The couple only enjoyed the three-story home for one year before the storm hit, the St. Louis woman said.
Umana-Hollinshed was out baking pies for a community event when she learned of the tornado. When she returned home, she was shocked to find her home had been ruined.
'We did everything,' Umana-Hollinshed said. She was heartbroken when she 'saw our life's work' in smithereens.
'I saw our retirement, our every dime we had was flat,' she explained.
The tornado that impacted Umana-Hollinshed's home was on the ground for more than 22 miles, according to the NWS.
Umana-Hollinshed's home was one of 5,000 buildings damaged during the powerful spring storms, Reuters reported.
The St. Louis woman said she 'cried all day long, every day' since the twister wrecked her dream home. She never imagined this could happen to her.
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'It's devastating,' Umana-Hollinshed said. 'There's no words, there's no phrase that can accurately describe the feeling of total, just devastation, loss, disappointment, brokenness, confusion, you know, hurt. It's so overwhelming. This is a pain that I can't describe.'
She added, 'I can comfortably say I have never fathomed [this] for anybody, much less myself.'
St. Louis Mayor Clara Spencer declared a state of emergency on Friday in the wake of the deadly storms.
At least 28 people were killed in Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia as a result of the dangerous storms, according to the Associated Press.
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