The Road To Recovery

On May 24, 2011 life was changed for many Oklahoman as multiple tornados tracked across the state leaving in its wake the devastation of destroyed homes and loss of life. The path of destruction hit Calumet, Okla. and  leveled the family home of Jesse, Miranda and Copper Lewis. Luckily no one was injured, but the family lost most of everything they owned as the tornado spread their belongings for miles northeast from where their home once stood.

Friends and family start the search through what is left of the home owned by Jesse and Miranda Lewis west of El Reno, Wednesday, May 25, 2011. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman ORG XMIT: KOD

The following day friends, family, neighbors and complete strangers voluntarily arrived to provide aide for the Lewis family, as they began the process salvaging any personal items they could find, and take the first steps of recovery after the tornado. Miranda Lewis was able to recover a few very important items like her undamaged wedding dress, husbands wedding ring and the boots he was married in.

Through out the process Miranda kept an extremely  positive attitude as she picked through the rubble that was once her home, and even took the time to laugh as she modeled an undamaged red dress she found in the pile of debris.

Miranda Lewis makes the best of a bad situation as she models a dress that was undamaged by Tuesday's tornado that destroyed her family's home west of El Reno, Okla., Wednesday, May 25, 2011. (AP Photo/The Oklahoman, Chris Landsberger) ORG XMIT: OKOKL305

Having experienced this life changing event, the Lewis family is now moving forward , and beginning to rebuild. They are living in a rental home just a few miles from their old home , and will rebuild where it once stood. Over the next year or so I will be following the Lewis family as they work to recover and rebuild, and will provide updates on their progress along the way.