KILLONA, La. (WGNO) — Thursday, Dec. 14 marks the one-year anniversary of the EF-2 tornado that hit Killona in 2022. The damage left dozens of families in need. Still, some remain living in trailers.
One of the hardest hit areas was on Schoolhouse Road.
“I had a two-story home right here. I thought this would be where I would spend the rest of my days,” says tornado survivor Geraldine Thomas.
The president of the parish was heartbroken to see people forced to rebuild just two weeks before Christmas after being hit back-to-back by storms.
“It was pretty surreal walking through that community that evening. Seeing cars flipped over, and homes destroyed. This same community had been hit by hurricane ida just a year before. It was pretty devastating to see,” says St. Charles Parish President Matt Jewel.
Thomas lived in the neighborhood since 1986 and had just remodeled her home after Hurricane Ida, then the tornado wiped it away.
She recalls the day as if it were yesterday, unsure what would be next for her community.
“I never knew at my age I would be trying to, you know, not have another home. Build another home, because when this house fell, we didn’t know where we were going to go,” says Thomas.
One year later, the rebuilding process continues. Many, like Thomas, have rebuilt their homes. Jewel admits it’s a continuous process, though the tornado showed how much stronger they are when they work together.
“The community coming together. Our industry partners stepping up, united way helping housing people, helping us get these trailers set up for our residents to get people at least on their property,” says Jewel.
Some days, Thomas looks back and remembers what the street looked like a year ago. Each day she prays for her neighbor who passed during the storm while keeping faith that each day another person will have a new home.
“To know that you know the Lord is bringing us back. Everybody may not have a home, but the Lord is restoring us,” says Thomas.
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