KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. She's been in the Ottawa, Kansas, community since the tornado hit on Monday night. Share your story idea with Isabella.
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Ottawa expects to have most of its power restored by Thursday, except for the Orchard Heights neighborhood, which was among the hardest hit areas in the city.
Clean-up and recovery efforts are in high gear for the town of nearly 13,000 people. Community members and businesses were out on Tuesday and Wednesday to help neighbors get their homes and lives back to normal.
"Everybody's there for everybody, especially in times of need like this," Shannon Wilt said.
It will be a long road ahead to clear the dozens of trees, debris and damage from Ottawa homes. It's why Wilt is helping keep the spirit and energy high by passing out hot dogs and snack bags.
"Wherever we're needed, and however long we can hand out food and water, is however long we're going to be out here," Wilt said.
Wilt is no stranger to storm disasters and knows the difference a meal can make.
"Back when Hurricane Katrina hit, I was a little girl," Wilt said. "One of the things I remember the most is I was handed a turkey and cheese sandwich and a bottle of water. It just made me cry. We were without power for two weeks and it's something as simple as that, that can make an impact."
Ottawa's food bank that serves Franklin County is getting ready to reopen on Thursday after being damaged by the tornado.
"This can bring people out and bring people together," Hope House co-director Michelle Graf said. "Never in my lifetime have we had a tornado here, before."
Hope House took damage to their roof, windows and power, which took out most of their perishable food.
Volunteer crews with Southern Star helped clear debris to make the building safe again.
"Without their help, we would not have been able to get ready to serve our clients this week," Co-Director Tiffany Wyatt said. "Just surreal [Tuesday] morning when we could finally come down and just see all [the debris]."
Despite the challenges, Hope House is determined to keep Ottawa neighbors clothed and fed during the clean up.
"It's the glimmers of hope that we're able to see and know that we're able to be open for our community," Wyatt said.
United Way of Franklin County and the Red Cross are helping neighbors navigate the recovery process.
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