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Residents of Reading celebrate surviving tornado, one year later

May 20, 2012|By Joe Fenton & Melody Pettit | KWCH 12 Eyewitness News
  • A poem written by a resident of Reading remembering the May 21, 2011 tornado that devestated Reading.
Melody Pettit, KWCH 12 Eyewitness News

READING, Kan — May 21, 2011 is a date residents of Reading, Kansas will not soon forget.  One year ago, an EF-3 tornado killed one person, and destroyed or damaged half of the homes and businesses in the small Lyon County town.

This weekend, the residents mark the storm's anniversary, remembering how the tornado affected their lives, and celebrating the reconstruction of Reading.

As Reading residents sing the song ‘Count Your Blessings’ they think about their own blessings over the past year.

The community gathered Sunday for a special church service to reflect and celebrate surviving the EF-3 tornado that killed one person, destroyed homes and devastated the people.

“We're all survivors here, we all pulled together and look at us today,” said Reading resident Melissa Siler.

Today they are a happy, thriving--albeit small—community, but not unchanged. The town not only looks different but it also changed the people who live there.

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“We want to own the tornado instead of letting it own us and this is one of our ways of saying yeah it did some damage but we're coming back stronger,” said longtime resident Malonne Davies.

“It's been an emotional roller-coaster,” said resident Amanda Meek.

All in all resident are proud such a small town is back and stronger than ever with the help of hundreds of volunteers.

Reporter VideoOne year ago, an EF-3 tornado killed one person, and destroyed or damaged half of the homes and businesses in the small Lyon County town. Eyewitness News reporter Melody Pettit filed this report from the field.
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