HARRISBURG, Ill. (MCT) — Stacy Cottom sat on her new front porch last week, holding her pet Maltese and gazing out at Brady Street, the small cul-de-sac that bore the brunt of the tornado that tore through this small town before dawn on Feb. 29.

Six of Cottom’s neighbors died. She and her husband were blown out of their home and tossed across the street, landing in a muddy field littered with broken glass, splintered lumber and crushed appliances. All 10 duplexes on the street were destroyed, many ripped right off their foundations.