May 28, 2008 7:29 pm US/Central
Number Of Hugo Homes Damaged By Tornado Rises
HUGO, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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"I did not think when I heard gone I wasn't completely picturing this," said Hugo homeowner Sara Bailey.
CBS
It's been 72 hours since the tornado touched down and destroyed homes in Hugo, Minn. and the numbers of damaged homes is rising to more than 500. Of those, 50 homes were leveled or nearly flattened.
The packing up and the cleaning up is still going strong throughout this neighborhood on the northeast side of the Twin Cities.
At the Hinze home, contractors are helping gather up the family's belongings that the tornado didn't destroy. They wrapped crystal and put other things in boxes for the family on Wednesday.
"The Minneapolis inspectors were here. My builder's been here. I'd say seven out of 10 people say we should tear it down and start over," said Dave Hinze.
He, his kids and his wife ran to the basement and huddled together when the sirens blared on Sunday. They all survived.
"We didn't hear it approaching. It was almost like a collision, deck gone, garage gone. Water was dripping on my head, and boom, that fast," he recalled.
The Hinze's moved into their new four-bedroom home just a couple months ago, and they never imagined they'd be in this position.
"It is, I think it's shock. It is a shock," said Dave's wife, Melissa.
Reality hasn't set in for her. She finds keeping busy is the best therapy.
Melissa and her family welcome help from friends and family, and so does Sara Bailey. She's a St. Paul Police Officer who also lost her home in the tornado.
On Wednesday, family came to help her find anything the tornado didn't destroy. It lifted the main part of her three-bedroom home off its foundation and threw it into the creek next door. Pieces of the home flew throughout her part of the neighborhood. She got a phone call telling her what happened.
"I did not think when I heard gone I wasn't completely picturing this," she said, as she points to the destruction. "This was an office. This is the second floor. This is the highest level of the house that used to be back there."
She has found things that matter, like an American flag that her brother flew over Baghdad while an Air Force pilot. Sara's also found numerous pictures, her passport and clothes.
"It has set in. It's set in," she remarked, but she also said her loss is nothing compared to what else she's seen in life while a police officer. Even with her situation, she feels lucky because she's alive.
"I could sit and be crabby about it. They lost a child over there. This does not matter. There's nothing here that is worse than the loss of a human life," said Sara. "It's over. It's done. It is what it is and now we move on."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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