KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
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Wednesday marked the second day of widespread recovery efforts in Ottawa, Kansas, after an EF2 tornado hit the southeast part of town on Monday.
The tornado moved 7.3 miles over 25 minutes with a peak wind speed of 125 mph, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Three people were injured.
Hope Anthem Church, not far from from damaged houses and businesses in Ottawa, provided free cleaning supplies on Wednesday for their neighbors in need.
Disaster relief nonprofit, Convoy of Hope, drove a truckload of the items from Springfield, Mo., to Hope Anthem Church on Tuesday.
Within 90 minutes on Wednesday morning, about 70 people received a box full of supplies.
“I think the church should be the loudest voice in these moments," Pastor Cameron Presson said.
Church member Michael Clutter came to the church to offer his help. His Orchard Heights neighborhood in southeast Ottawa was one of the hardest hit, and he wanted to help his neighbors return to their normal routines.
“Took a few days off work and just trying to get things cleaned up and back to normal life," Clutter said.
He took a box for clean up at his own home, which he says suffered minimal damage compared to his neighbors, and loaded up his truck with more boxes.
Clutter drove around his neighborhood and delivered the boxes of cleaning supplies to neighbors like Gricelta Duran.
“He stopped at every one (house) and gave a box," Duran said. "He asked if we needed more help. It’s amazing, it’s amazing how they responded.”
For Presson and Clutter, the community coming together is what hope looks like.
“It’s good people and community helping each other and sticking together," Clutter said.
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