Family builds new home, life after deadly twister

CELINA - Harner family members moved into their new home on Brooke Avenue over this past holiday weekend, almost exactly a year after their former house was destroyed by the Memorial Day 2019 tornado.

The house was built in the same spot as the previous one that was destroyed by the EF3 twister that swept directly through it, Sarah Harner said. The tornado with wind speeds of up to 150 mph followed a 6.6-mile path through Celina, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

At least 40 homes, including the Harners', were severely damaged or completely destroyed in a matter of minutes.

Harner, 37, and her husband, Dave, 37, had lived in Celina for roughly 13 years when the storm tore through their home. She said she had already put her three children, Owen, 9; Liam, 7; and Tinsley, 5, to bed that night. She stayed up to monitor the weather while her husband dozed on the sofa.

Once the cable went out, she said she woke up her husband, grabbed the kids and took them to the basement. As soon as she reached Tinsley's room, the windows broke, spraying glass through the room.

As she reached the door to the basement, it refused to budge, she said, likely due to the pressure. She finally managed to open it after the roof of their home had been torn off.

She called for her husband to help her, but he shouted that he couldn't get to her - a 15-foot beam had crashed through the house, pinning him underneath it in the master bedroom.

Sarah Harner eventually got her kids into the basement and her husband had wriggled himself free, but the couple realized the basement wasn't structurally sound. They ran to a neighbor's home, to see only moments later that their house and two cars were gone. The only thing they brought with them was their wedding album.

The family returned the next day to rummage through the rubble, digging through insulation and glass to salvage what they could. Sarah Harner said she was grateful to find the family lockbox, which contained important documents and copies of photos of their kids still intact.

With no extended family in the area, she said the family had become accustomed to being independent and not relying on others for help. However, her voice shook when she spoke of the kindness of her co-workers at Celina City Schools and the help of the community.

"The community helped a lot," she said as she fought back tears.

The family lived in Fort Recovery while their house was rebuilt. While they didn't anticipate living there for a year and the distance posed a challenge, Sarah Harner said they were still grateful for a home with a roof and running water.

They were sad to see their former home go, but the Harners were able to add some features to the new home, such as an improved floor plan, an extra bedroom and bathroom and a dedicated laundry room.

Marquis Builders of Berne, Indiana, constructed the home, while Revival Design of Celina helped them remodel it.

Sarah Harner said the family won a remodeling package by Revival Design through a contest after the storm, which she said was a blessing.

With the help of CEO and creative director Cally Lange and senior designer Julie Werling, the architectural firm helped develop an exterior design, interior floor plan and a new look for the home. The Harners enjoyed putting together a "vibe sheet," in which they took elements of other homes they liked to create an overall vibe and aesthetic.

The Harners are excited to return to Celina, saying the move was a long time coming.

"It's a little surreal to be moving again," Sarah Harner said. "We're excited to move back."