DAWSON SPRINGS, Ky. — Jeremy Harper had just gotten to his mother’s house when the tornado hit.
“I told him I was scared, (and) to come over there with me," said Harper's mother, Barbara Carter. "He didn’t have time to react. He sat on the couch, and then all of the sudden (the tornado) came and everything fell on him."
When Carter emerged from the bathroom after the storm had passed, her home was destroyed. She screamed for her son, who responded from beneath a large pile of debris.
He would be trapped under the collapsed trailer and a fallen tree for nearly three hours.
Neighbors helped pull Harper from the rubble and he was lucky enough to sustain only minor injuries. But both he and his mother lost their homes that night. And like so many Dawson Springs residents, they would spend the following months trying to pick up the pieces.
More:Six weeks after tornado, Dawson Springs rebuilds -- and wonders whether people will stay
“If I had stayed over (at my house), I’d be dead," Harper said. "That entire trailer was gone."
It’s been six months since that horrific night on Dec. 10, 2021 when a historic EF-4 tornado tore across Western Kentucky. It killed more than 70 people statewide, including 13 in Dawson Springs. Like Harper and his mother, 75 percent of this small Hopkins County town was displaced.
The road to recovery hasn’t been easy.
The 'roadblocks' of rebuilding
According to Hopkins County Director of Emergency Management Jesse Breedlove, the city is slowly beginning to rebuild. Volunteers are scheduled through the summer to help with the last phase of clean-up and the first stages of reconstruction.
“We’ve got skilled volunteers coming in — anywhere from carpentry to electric to plumbing,” said Breedlove. “We have a lot of (other volunteers) too, and they’re helping pick up debris or painting in the houses and stuff like that.”
Organizations like Habitat for Humanity and church groups such as HR Ministries and The Well are working to rebuild two to three houses at a time. But despite an abundance of volunteers, Breedlove says other factors are hindering progress.
“We’re running into roadblocks right now. There’s a concrete shortage…(and) we’re having trouble even getting concrete trucks right now," he said. "Every day you just can’t predict what’s going to happen."
With the price of construction on the rise, many residents who lost their homes are underinsured and forced to rely on the county’s long-term recovery groups and volunteers to help offset the extra costs.
But even those with full insurance coverage are experiencing the financial woes of building back.
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South Hopkins Water District Superintendent Jon Blalock lost his house to the tornado and began to rebuild in March. Though getting materials hasn’t been an issue, he says prices have skyrocketed.
“The economy is killing us,” he said. “Fifty tons of gravel is $1,000. Lumber prices are so high. And the type of wire to wire the house went from $80 for 250 feet to almost $200 (for the same amount).”
'It's ridiculous'
For people like Harper and Carter, rebuilding doesn’t even seem like an option right now.
Because of city ordinance, residents cannot bring used mobile homes onto their property unless it has a certified value of $50,000 or more — a price tag many can’t afford.
“It’s ridiculous,” said Carter. “I mean, I can understand that if it’s somebody new moving into the community, but the people that went through the storm?”
The new ordinance was passed on Feb. 9, just two months after the tornado. The previous ordinance stated that used mobile homes must have a certified value of $30,000 or more.
When asked about the change, a city employee initially said the amendment was passed before the tornado. However, the Courier & Press confirmed that wasn't accurate.
"That was just another kick you know, (to) kick you down a little bit more," said Carter.
Carter and her son have spent the last six months staying with family. At the end of May, Carter was given a FEMA trailer to live in on her property while she figures out the next step.
According to Breedlove, those next steps could take two to three more years, and the small town will continue to need volunteers and building materials throughout the process.
"There will still be a strong presence (of) the long-term recovery (groups) for a long time," he said.
Contact Lauren Craddock at [email protected] or on Twitter @LaurenECraddock
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