Nappanee Family's Home Replaced After Oct. 18 Tornado
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Tim [email protected]
On Oct. 18, the home on South Summit Street where Pamela Juarez lived with her two children was destroyed when a tornado roared through the area.
Fortunately, neither Juarez nor her children Ashley, 14, and Lupe, 13, were at home when the storm hit.[[In-content Ad]]Juarez's home joined 50 other homes destroyed by the EF-3 strength storm as it was wrenched off its foundation and tossed into what had been the back yard. Suddenly, Juarez and her children were homeless. The family went to live with the children's father about 7 miles away.
Juarez said losing her home was a shock. "It pretty much put me in a daze," she said. "You don't know what's going on, what's going to happen to you or how you're going to get through it."
Today, Juarez watched as a brand new home was hoisted into place on a new foundation where her old house had been.
"This is a dream come true," she said to John Mahnken, president of Heckaman Homes.
Juarez's house is the first of about a dozen houses Heckaman Homes plans to replace after the Oct. 18 tornado. Mahnken said his company is working to get people displaced by the storm back in their homes as soon as possible.
"The big thing with this was it was an overnight disaster for these people," Mahnken said. "One night they were in their home and the next day, it was gone. We're providing quality housing and a short timeline."
Juarez said she began working with her insurance company and Heckaman Homes to replace her home the week following the tornado. Her new modular home will be ready to move into in less than two weeks.
"We've been living day by day waiting for this to happen," Juarez said as a construction crew worked on her new house. "It was amazing just to see everything come together."
Mahnken said Heckaman Homes plans to deliver and set four more modular homes in Nappanee by the end of the year.
Juarez said she was glad hers could be delivered before Christmas.
"The first thing I'm going to do is get in there and put my Christmas tree up," she said.
Latest News
E-Editions
On Oct. 18, the home on South Summit Street where Pamela Juarez lived with her two children was destroyed when a tornado roared through the area.
Fortunately, neither Juarez nor her children Ashley, 14, and Lupe, 13, were at home when the storm hit.[[In-content Ad]]Juarez's home joined 50 other homes destroyed by the EF-3 strength storm as it was wrenched off its foundation and tossed into what had been the back yard. Suddenly, Juarez and her children were homeless. The family went to live with the children's father about 7 miles away.
Juarez said losing her home was a shock. "It pretty much put me in a daze," she said. "You don't know what's going on, what's going to happen to you or how you're going to get through it."
Today, Juarez watched as a brand new home was hoisted into place on a new foundation where her old house had been.
"This is a dream come true," she said to John Mahnken, president of Heckaman Homes.
Juarez's house is the first of about a dozen houses Heckaman Homes plans to replace after the Oct. 18 tornado. Mahnken said his company is working to get people displaced by the storm back in their homes as soon as possible.
"The big thing with this was it was an overnight disaster for these people," Mahnken said. "One night they were in their home and the next day, it was gone. We're providing quality housing and a short timeline."
Juarez said she began working with her insurance company and Heckaman Homes to replace her home the week following the tornado. Her new modular home will be ready to move into in less than two weeks.
"We've been living day by day waiting for this to happen," Juarez said as a construction crew worked on her new house. "It was amazing just to see everything come together."
Mahnken said Heckaman Homes plans to deliver and set four more modular homes in Nappanee by the end of the year.
Juarez said she was glad hers could be delivered before Christmas.
"The first thing I'm going to do is get in there and put my Christmas tree up," she said.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092