MAYFIELD, Ky. (WTVF) — It was a record breaking storm in terms of size and destruction.
The December 10th, 2021 tornado that hit the Midwest and tore through Western Kentucky killed more than 80 people. Twenty four of those deaths alone were recorded in Mayfield, Kentucky.
When residents use the word "obliterated" you know the losses were massive as 190 mile per hour winds with a path one and a half miles wide barreled over and flattened everything in its path.
Megan Williams grew up in Mayfield and tells me she was always careful in a storm but she never imagined one could wipe out her home and her hometown. She and her four children were hiding in the basement of their home not far from the downtown area.
She said, "We survived" and during the initial recovery that's the only thing that mattered. It still is, but as life must go on...you have to figure out your path ahead.
Their home was destroyed and initially, Megan and the kids moved in with family, then they were moved to temporary housing in a motel. She and the kids lived in one room, one bathroom and the room refrigerator "didnt even keep milk cold", she told me.
She had to use her savings to buy fast food to keep the kids fed while they waited for something better.
Then the government provided a FEMA trailer, though still small, gave her a stove to cook her children meals and small family room where they could gather. When the government took the trailers back she had to search to find a new place, any place to keep her babies safe. Someone loaned her a tiny home and they moved for the fourth time in a year and a half.
Immediately after the tornado hit, 3700 volunteers with Samaritans Purse based out of Boone, North Carolina moved into Mayfield to help the residents with the basics of food, shelter and clothing.
They are a Christian-based, national relief organization who mobilize for any recent natural event you may remember. CEO and President, Franklin Graham tells me that once word got out about what happened in Mayfield that, "Money started coming in from all over the world to help Mayfield."
He said it was so much money they knew they had use it to provided housing.
Ironically enough, Megan Williams and her four children qualified for one of the new Samaritan Purse homes in a brand new subdivision called, "New Hope Acres."
On this day, 16 homes were dedicated with a total of 60 under construction.
"Now what's different about these homes over the other places is that they are free, there's no mortgage," Graham said. "We are giving these free other than you can't sell it for five years and you all agreed to that, it's yours."
On September 29th, 2023 Graham handed the keys to a brand new four bedroom two-bath home to the Williams family.
"We finally have a home!" Megan cried.
"We've moved so many times and so many things where you could have gave up and we never did and God was always there to lead, guide and direct us," her oldest daughter said.
The youngest child, 6-years-old, said, "I'm happy, happy, happy."
And no more fearful nights, each home has a safe room.
"We weren't gonna build you a home and not provide a safe place for you to find cover in a storm," Graham said.
A bathroom was built with rebar and reinforced steel and a steel door to keep the family safe if another monster storm ever returns.
The Williams are healing, the Williams are finally home.