THE BUNKERS JUST OUTSIDE OF HARLAN, IOWA. THEIR FARM AND THEIR HOME WAS ONE OF THE MANY THAT WERE DESTROYED IN THE APRIL TORNADOES. ALMOST A FULL YEAR LATER. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S EDDIE MESSEL JOINED THE COUPLE ON THEIR FARM AND SHOWS HOW FAR THEY’VE COME. IT’S BEEN ALMOST A YEAR SINCE NANCY AND DAVID BUNKER RETURNED TO THEIR HOME AND FAMILY FARM, JUST OUTSIDE OF HARLAN, TO FIND IT DESTROYED BY THE APRIL TORNADOES. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE IN APRIL OF 2024. MACHINE SHED GONE, HOUSE RIPPED APART, AND DEBRIS EVERYWHERE. WE KNEW WE HAD TO BREAK IT UP INTO CHUNKS BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A BIG MOUNTAIN TO FACE. AND SO WE DECIDED TO FOCUS ON THREE THINGS THE HOUSE, THE MACHINE SHED, AND THE FENCE. THE EARLY STEPS TO REBUILD AND CLEAN UP STARTED RIGHT AWAY, WHEN HUNDREDS OF HARLAN STUDENTS WERE ON THE FARM. JUST DAYS LATER. THAT HELP NEVER STOPPED. MEMBERS OF THE HARLAN COMMUNITY WERE THERE FOR THE BUNKERS. EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. ONE MORNING WE CAME OUT HERE. WE WERE HERE BY EIGHT, MOST EVERY MORNING WE CAME OUT AND THERE WAS THE YARD WAS JUST FILLED WITH MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCH FAMILY WITH RAKES. IT WOULD HAVE BROKEN OUR BACKS TO TRY TO DO THAT ALONE. BUT THERE THEY WERE, A WHOLE ARMY WITH RAKES. THEIR HOUSE IN NEED OF MAJOR- REPAIRS.USE IN NEED OF MAJOR- NOT EVEN LIVABLE. SO THE CEILING WAS WAS HANGING HERE. IT WAS LIKE IT WAS SUCKED OUT AND THEN JUST HUNG DOWN. THROUGH THE HELP OF THE COMMUNITY, FAMILY AND FRIENDS, THE BUNKERS WERE BACK HOME IN JUST SEVEN MONTHS. WE WERE ACTUALLY MOVED BACK INTO THE HOUSE TWO DAYS BEFORE THANKSGIVING. SO IT WAS WE WERE VERY THANKFUL. THIS IS WHAT THE BUNKERS HOUSE LOOKS LIKE NOW. ALMOST A YEAR LATER, ALTHOUGH STILL MISSING A FEW THINGS. THE POOL WAS OVER RIGHT NEXT TO THE MACHINE SHED OVER THERE AND IT BLEW AWAY WITH THE MACHINE SHED. WE DIDN’T REPLACE THE POOL, BUT WE PUT A HOT TUB IN SO THAT’S MORE OF A POOL FOR OUR AGE. YEAH, THEY ALSO REPLACED THE MACHINE SHED, NOW BIGGER AND BETTER THAN BEFORE. WITH WORK STILL LEFT TO BE DONE, THE BUNKERS WILL ALWAYS HAVE A PIECE OF THE DESTRUCTION. TO REMEMBER THOSE APRIL TORNADOES. HERE’S THAT DOOR. A DOOR RIPPED OUT OF THE DOWNSTAIRS OF THEIR HOME, NOW TURNED INTO A HEADBOARD UPSTAIRS. REPORTING
One year after the April tornadoes a Harlan farm looks to return to normal
The Boettgers just outside of Harlan, Iowa, continue a successful rebuild of their farm after it was destroyed by April's tornadoes
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Updated: 5:19 PM CDT Apr 23, 2025
In 2024, KETV, vlog's sister station in Omaha, introduced you to the Boettgers just outside of Harlan, Iowa. Their farm and home were among the many destroyed in the April tornadoes. It's been almost a year since Nancy and David Boettger returned to their home and family farm just outside of Harlan to find it destroyed by the Arbor Day tornadoes."We knew we had to break it up into chunks because it was such a big mountain to face, so we decided to focus on three things: the house, the machine shed and the fence,” Boettger said.The early steps to rebuild and clean up started right away when hundreds of Harlan students were on the farm just days later. That help never stopped; members of the Harlan community were there for the Boettgers every step of the way."One morning we came out here, we were here by 8 most every morning, we came out and the yard was just filled with members of our church family with rakes ... It would have broken our backs to try and do that alone but there they were a whole army with rakes moving across the yard it was such an encouragement as well as help,” Nancy Boettger said.Their house is in need of major repairs and is not even livable."So the ceiling, it was hanging here, it was like it was sucked out and then just hung down,” Nancy Boettger said.Through the help of the community family, and friends, the Boettgers were back home in just seven months."We actually moved back into the house two days before Thanksgiving, we were very thankful,” Nancy Boettger said. Almost a year later, their house was completely rebuilt, although still missing a few things."The pool was over right next to the machine shed over there, and it blew away with the machine shed,” David Boettger said, while showing KETV around the property."We didn't replace the pool, but we put a hot tub in, so that's more of a pool for our age,” Nancy Boettger said.They also replaced the machine shed, now bigger and better than before. With work still left to be done the Boettgers will always have a piece of the destruction to remember those April tornadoes. A door ripped out of the downstairs of their home now turned into a headboard for a bed upstairs.With recovery efforts still underway a year later, the Boettgers will host those also affected by the tornadoes for a potluck on the one-year anniversary on April 26.
HARLAN, Iowa — In 2024, KETV, vlog's sister station in Omaha, introduced you to the Boettgers just outside of Harlan, Iowa. Their farm and home were among the many destroyed in the April tornadoes.
It's been almost a year since Nancy and David Boettger returned to their home and family farm just outside of Harlan to find it destroyed by the Arbor Day tornadoes.
"We knew we had to break it up into chunks because it was such a big mountain to face, so we decided to focus on three things: the house, the machine shed and the fence,” Boettger said.
The early steps to rebuild and clean up started right away when hundreds of Harlan students were on the farm just days later. That help never stopped; members of the Harlan community were there for the Boettgers every step of the way.
"One morning we came out here, we were here by 8 most every morning, we came out and the yard was just filled with members of our church family with rakes ... It would have broken our backs to try and do that alone but there they were a whole army with rakes moving across the yard it was such an encouragement as well as help,” Nancy Boettger said.
Their house is in need of major repairs and is not even livable.
"So the ceiling, it was hanging here, it was like it was sucked out and then just hung down,” Nancy Boettger said.
Through the help of the community family, and friends, the Boettgers were back home in just seven months.
"We actually moved back into the house two days before Thanksgiving, we were very thankful,” Nancy Boettger said.
Almost a year later, their house was completely rebuilt, although still missing a few things.
"The pool was over right next to the machine shed over there, and it blew away with the machine shed,” David Boettger said, while showing KETV around the property.
"We didn't replace the pool, but we put a hot tub in, so that's more of a pool for our age,” Nancy Boettger said.
They also replaced the machine shed, now bigger and better than before. With work still left to be done the Boettgers will always have a piece of the destruction to remember those April tornadoes. A door ripped out of the downstairs of their home now turned into a headboard for a bed upstairs.
With recovery efforts still underway a year later, the Boettgers will host those also affected by the tornadoes for a potluck on the one-year anniversary on April 26.
