04/16/2026
We are taking a moment to thank everyone who checked in on us and the farm following the Hillsdale/Portions of Paola tornado.
We are extremely fortunate to have received only minor damage around the farm.
Chuck and I drove out at 4:00 AM on Tuesday to check on Billy, Socks and Stormy and the venue/farm. As we were driving on
247th St from 69 Highway in the dark, I noticed a splintered pole out of the corner of my eye. It hit me that these were snapped electric poles one after the other, laid like dominos against a metal pasture fence. Large trees rested on car roofs. A newly remodeled home had a tree limb on its roof.
The camera at the farm I was watching as the shelf cloud approached around 8 pm the night before froze in time as the electricity went out. We had no idea as we drove closer to the farm what we might encounter. We pulled up and walked inside our personal space. It was flooded. Stormy was shaken, but safe.
We ventured back into the darkness with a battery powered lantern. Next stop was Billy and Socks. They were safe, but definitely looked worn. Billy was visibly frightened. We stayed with them for a bit to comfort them.
The barn, event space and all main structures were intact and good.
Limbs were down. Our pumpkin/Christmas/Spring house was crumpled. Very heavy Adirondack chairs were lifted from the pond deck and lay by the water’s edge. Several other areas were affected in minor ways.
We cleaned up as best we could by the light of flashlights. We went back home for bit.
We returned past a caravan of trucks already in place on 247th at 9 AM. We went to Hillsdale to see where we might could help after getting our place back to ready for wedding weekend. A huge thank you to Craig for all of his help.
The destruction there is beyond words. Our hearts go out to all affected.
We are amazed at the Linemen who worked diligently to repair the line of snapped poles on 247th and other places. Thank you for your hard work.
Our electricity was restored in 24 hours.
Once again, we are grateful for the kind texts, emails and calls.
