Oak Grove, MO - Wednesday marks the second anniversary of the EF-3 tornado that swept through the town of Oak Grove (east of Kansas City) destroying or damaging hundreds of homes.
Kate Harmon remembers exactly what she was doing on March 6, 2017.
"We were all eating Wendy's and trying to watch 'The Bachelor,' and then the news keeps interrupting," Harmon said. "I am the only one at this point getting panicky. I was like, holy cow, I really think this is going to be serious."
Harmon was the first to go downstairs, then everyone else in the house followed. She repeatedly called her mother to make sure everything was okay. Suddenly, everything changed.
"We were in the basement, and by the time we looked up, we were outside," Harmon said. "There was nothing over us. It was pouring on us."
Harmon remembers everyone in the neighborhood going around and checking on one another.
Oak Grove Mayor Jeremy Martin is proud of the way the city reacted to the disaster. He cited an official assessment that counted 483 homes that were either damaged or demolished.
"The entire city came out, rolled up their sleeves, and got busy," Martin said. "It was pretty remarkable to witness."
The mayor remembers how well first responders performed on the night of the twister. He says they're even better-trained now.
"That we went through this and nobody was critically injured or killed, it really is nothing short of a miracle," Martin said.
As for Kate Harmon and their family, they gather each year and share a meal on the anniversary of the tornado to remember how fortunate they are to have one another.
