In the tornado’s aftermath

Clyde Wilkes and Justine Mason were inside his mobile home, south of Middleton, along with Justine’s mother, Taylor Mason, when a tornado struck on Wednesday evening, December 23. “We were all thrown outside. When it was over I found myself hanging onto the front bumper of the car for dear life,” Wilkes said. “I’m just so thankful we’re alive and mostly unhurt.”
“It didn’t last but about five seconds but it seemed like a lifetime,” said Mason. “My mother and I wound up on the ground near the car. I got a small cut on my head and one on my back. Mom’s neck and shoulders are sore and stiff. We are so lucky.”
The home was picked up, totally demolished, and its debris carried over the car approximately 100 feet. The only evidence this was a home is the partial remains of a washing machine, water heater, and commode.    “Taylor, my girlfriend, isn’t here. She couldn’t stand seeing this wreckage,” Wilkes said.

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