KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. Share your story idea with Isabella.
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Ottawa is recovering after an EF2 tornado tore through dozens of homes and businesses on Monday night. There have been at least three confirmed injuries.
No deaths have been reported as a result of the storms.
There were a few community groups and neighbors out on Tuesday, passing out hot meals and water to clean-up crews and those affected. Power is still off for many neighborhoods as crews assess and clean up the damage.
For one Ottawa family, they lost a lifetime of memories when the tornado hit.
Peggy and Jeffrey Castleberry live near K-68 Highway, where the tornado destroyed their home.
"You always think, it's not going to happen to you," Peggy Castleberry said. "It was a nightmare."
Castleberry told KSHB 41 News reporter Isabella Ledonne they tried to reach the cellar in time as they heard the storm getting closer.
She held onto her two grandsons in the laundry room on the way to the cellar when the tornado tore the roof off their home.
"I held onto the little boy, and I shut my eyes. When I woke up, it was light because the whole room was gone," Castleberry said. "It was scary, but when I saw the light, I knew that God had a cover over us."
Castleberry explained her family didn't suffer any physical injuries, except the pain of losing their entire home.
"We're alive, but I don't know how we can rebuild," Castleberry said. "This was my home. It was peaceful. I could sit out on the front porch, watch the deer cross the road. I just mowed my yard yesterday, and I took pride in my home."
The Castleberry family launched a GoFundMe to help the couple start rebuilding their home.
The Red Cross is offering help to those whose homes were destroyed in the tornado. United Way of Franklin County is also offering resources to those affected.
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