(LEX 18) — Bobby Ellison and Raven Norton received keys to a temporary trailer where they'll stay while repairing their tornado-damaged home in Laurel County.
"It's not home, but it's going to feel like home for a while," Ellison said.
The tornado ripped the roof and back wall off their home. While not a total loss, the house will require extensive and costly repairs.
"There's a lot of structural damage and stuff like that," Ellison said.
Despite the damage, the family is grateful to be alive. When the tornado hit, Norton was home alone in the back bedroom.
"I was laying in the bed, hanging on to the mattress. And by the grace of God, the ceiling - the drywall from the ceiling - fell in over the top of me and that's where the brick and the wood from the roofing landed. I was trapped. I could move my arms and head but I couldn't move my legs or anything," Norton said.
Ellison, who was minutes away from home at the time, eventually dug her out of the debris with help from a neighbor.
"They said when they found me, the way the drywall fell, it fell like a teepee literally over the top of me. And I just thank God that he was with me because all I could think about was I'm leaving my kids and my husband and this is it," Norton said.
Now starting the rebuilding process, the family will utilize the state's trailer program for temporary housing.
Several trailers have already been placed and connected at Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park, with Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman confirming more are on the way.
Coleman emphasized the critical importance of this program, which provides tornado survivors stability while determining their next steps.
"While I can't fathom being in these families' shoes, especially with small kids, trying to explain what they just went through and what they're going to keep going through, what I am grateful for is that we're able to find a place to stay where they're safe and where they can find a little bit of solace in a temporary home," Coleman said.
The program was implemented faster than ever before thanks to the park's strong electric and water hookups, allowing trailers to be ready for occupancy almost immediately.
