Families Still Struggle After Mpls. Tornado
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- You don't have to drive too far from downtown Minneapolis to find several neighborhoods in need following the tornado that hit in May.
Minneapolis city inspectors have told some families they can't live in their homes anymore, because they were so badly damaged in the storm.
One of those families WCCO-TV talked with lives on Knox Street North. They had nine children living in their home, ranging from toddlers to teenagers.
City inspectors told Lucas Robles' family they would have to move, because his home was no longer fit to live in.
"We've been here for a year. We've had so many happy times," said Robles, sitting in a swing in what was his backyard. "It's emotional."
Robles said he remembers windows shattering and the shingles on the roof flying off during the storm. There are now holes in the walls and floor.
"The tree hit here, knocked the power line down. They were sparking for a minute," said Robles' mother, Melissa Johnson, as she pointed out the damage done to the home.
She and her children huddled together in the basement. They got scraped and scratched in the storm, but none were seriously hurt.
"This is the only place they know as home. And to have to just up and leave because of something that we had no control over," she said.
Just when the family thought the news couldn't get worse, it did.
"My brother's in the hospital," Robles said.
It's the perfect storm of sorrow, but Robles knows things will be better someday. His family will move into a hotel till they find a new, permanent home.
But the yellow home off Knox will always be an important part of Robles' life.
"A cool place to remember," he said.
