Reflecting Back, One Year after a Tornado Disaster

By Keith Shields on Friday, July 24, 2009.

A year ago, a tornado tore through New Hampshire. It killed one resident, knocked over countless trees and tore down scores of homes.

One such home belonged to Bill and Arlene Moffitt. The retired couple had lived in their trailer on Northwood Lake in Epsom for 20 years.

On July 24th, the trailer took a direct hit from the tornado. But when the winds died down, a new nightmare was about to begin.

NHPR’S Keith Shields brings you their story.

Bill and Arlene Moffit had no idea their lives would change forever last year.

The morning started like most summer days for retired Epsom couple.

They woke up early, did a few chores around their trailer on Northwood Lake, and then went inside for a sandwich and the late morning news.

(BILL) 11:47 it was like midnight…everything went black and just a horrendous roar just went through the whole neighborhood. Some people will compare it to a freight train, but I worked for the railroad for 20 some-odd years and there is no comparison… we just stood there in awe (:19)

Before they knew it their three season porch blew away.

Their chimney disappeared up through the roof.

The doors flung open and dishes and glass joined six inch thick branches flying around the room.

(ARLENE) I said to Bill, we have to find shelter real soon. NOW… the only place we could possibly go in this place would be in the bedroom. So that’s where we went in the bedroom there was a dresser in front of two windows and we laid down on the floor and he laid on top of me. (:21)

The winds died down and the couple was safe.

But that’s when they say another nightmare began.

The tornado had totaled their house and destroyed nearly all of their possessions.

After two weeks of living with relatives, the Moffits moved back to Epsom into a temporary trailer provided by their insurance company.

What followed, they say, was seven months of calls, confusion, and red tape.

(BILL) They bulldozed what was left of the other house… now going and getting your permits and everything and with new building code now, you had to put in a foundation… and then I had to wait for an inspection from the mortgage company to have her come out, let them call back to Arizona… yeah, this is OK, they got x amount done, you can cut them another check and everything is being held up. It just kept going from bad to worse. (:33)

Worse for the Moffits meant being bounced from one agent to the next at their mortgage company…..thirty seven in all they say.

Checks were lost and misplaced.

And then the ice storm hit and they lost power for eight days and had to live in sub-freezing temperatures.

The contractors told them they’d be in their new home by Christmas.

They couldn’t move in until St Patrick’s Day.

Since then, life has begun to return to normal.

But when the skies darken and the wind picks up, the Moffits get a little edgy.

A microburst last month blew heavy gusts and hail started to pelt their new home.

ARLENE) I was over there by the stairway ready to go to the basement. When I saw it getting dark out, I said that’s it I’m going… I was scared to death (BILL) I wasn’t any more than two feet away from her if anything happened.(laugh)…I was on the way down (laugh) (:27).

As the anniversary of last year’s tragedy passes, the Moffits are thankful some things.

They have a new home, this one with a basement.

They feel that the tragedy has brought them closer.

And they are humbled by the one thousand dollar check sent to them by a stranger in Massachusetts.

Also now that some of the grass has grown in, Arlene says the new place finally begins to feel like home…

So, I asked them if they’re mad at what happened to them last year.

(BILL) No, it’s an act of God, I mean who can you blame? (ARLENE) I’m mad… because we lost a lot… we lost a lot … we lost a lot of things that can’t be replaced (BILL) but then again, I mean we lost a lot of personal things, we lost our home, we’re still on edge but, the family across the bay over there, the Stephens… I mean that’s ,that’s definitely loss…(yeah) we didn’t go that far and my heart and prayers go out to them.(:38)

The house across the bay is where Brenda Stevens lived.

The fifty-seven year old grandmother lost her life in the tornado.

From their new porch, the Moffits can see the Steven’s home.

It’s also now rebuilt…

But it sits amid the destruction of lost trees and damaged property that will remind them of their tragedy for a long time to come.

For NHPR News, I’m Keith Shields.