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Prayers For One of Our Own

13K views 95 replies 64 participants last post by  Dreamcatcher Arabians 
#1 ·
I've read on Facebook this morning that our own Mod, Cherie, and her family have been devastated by the tornado in their area last evening. I have no word on personal injuries but understand their ranch took a direct hit with loss of homes at the very least.

Praying for peace and help for her and her family.
 
#57 ·
I just saw this thread... I can't imagine what Cheri and her family are going through. I watched the weather and news all day long that day about those terrible tornadoes, and live-streamed KFOR (OK tv station) on my computer, the tornadoes were especially awful that day. I saw the news footage of Cheri and her farm and her horses, at the time I was not aware that it was Cheri from the forum, omg my heart just breaks for her. Sending prayers to Cheri and her family, and to her horses.
 
#58 ·
I just saw this post as well! Prayers for Cheri and her family. I'm in Oklahoma and have helped with cleanup from far too many tornadoes (including Moore and Joplin) :( my mom survived an ef4 as a child. Indescribable destruction and mess. Even the trees aren't spared, so nothing ever seems the same.
I'll be watching for updates and needs.

Thank you @Dreamcatcher Arabians for posting this. My heart breaks for them. So grateful for no injuries to the family, but I know it will be a long road.
 
#63 ·
Update

Update: Electricity was restored yesterday but still no phone or internet. They are going to have to put one of her mares down as she has an infection in the bone. They are trying to keep her going with antibiotics as long as they can since she has an 11 day old foal who still needs momma.

Her stud will survive the eye socket fracture but the pain medication he has been on caused an impactation colic, which appears it has cleared, but they are still guarded and will be weaning off the medications.

OSU is willing to keep the horses at their facilities as long as their Disaster Relief fund holds out. Cherie says she is so thankful for all they have done for her and the horses.

Because her house was older, the insurance company downgraded how much they were willing to reimburse for damages and she says it will not be enough to rebuild what they had. Someone has donated a used FEMA trailer which was gutted and they are going to refurbish it as best they can to live on property near the horses. For now, they have a few things in a shipping container and sleep down the road at a neighbor’s house.

Her husband had many tools in the barn, compressors, welders among other things that she said flew away and also will not be covered.

They are still trying to get fencing back up, none of which was covered by insurance.

The tornado winds were officially clocked at 260 mph!

On the brighter side, a few of her mares have sold and she managed to buy an old trailer so that she can at least transport the horses. One of her ruined trailers they think they may be able to remove the top and salvage the bottom as a flat bed. She has someone coming today to try to right an old truck that they think also might still be drivable.

She still sounds in good spirits but things are very rough and it will be a long time before things feel good again. Like she said from here on out she will think of time, as before the tornado and after.

Please continue to keep her in your thoughts this is far from over for her.
 
#65 ·
. . . Because her house was older, the insurance company downgraded how much they were willing to reimburse for damages and she says it will not be enough to rebuild what they had. Someone has donated a used FEMA trailer which was gutted and they are going to refurbish it as best they can to live on property near the horses. For now, they have a few things in a shipping container and sleep down the road at a neighbor’s house.

Her husband had many tools in the barn, compressors, welders among other things that she said flew away and also will not be covered. . .
??? So presumably for years they have paid insurance for X amount on a house of an agreed (by insurance co) capital value (A), but now they want to say the house is not worth that amount? At what time did they advise Cherie that she was paying too much insurance and that they no longer thought the house was of (A) value but should be (B) value for which the premium should now be Y.?

They think its ok to take the premium and then not pay out? Is it worth getting legal advice?

What was the wording for covering the tools etc? (Not that I need to know, just to look at that for their benefit)
 
#66 ·
Found this. If I'm not supposed to post it or something, mods please remove it. Just thought others would like to see the damage... it is astronomical :sad:

Horses go airborne in Murray County tornado

My heart and prayers are definitely going out to Cherie and her family and her horses too.
 
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#70 ·
Same here.....don't know how I missed this......

I'd like to do something.....anyone have any ideas?
 
#72 ·
Just stumbled on this. How awful!
I was wondering why Cheri has not been to HF lately, and thought her arthritis must be acting up
Yes, Prayers and sympathy coming from me also.
Only experienced a tornado once. Very scary. It went through the north end of our land, thank God, and not on the south side, where our buildings are
There is the feeling of helplessness, as you head for the cellar, wondering what will happen to the horses, esp as Smilie and Charlie were in the barn
Please keep us up dated, Dreamcatcher
 
#73 · (Edited)
Cheri sent me a few pictures of the aftermath and gave me permission to post them:

Mammal Vertebrate Horse Pasture Herd


This is the Mare that is at OSU

Land lot Property Tree Rural area Real estate

this is a 10 wheel dumptruck laying on its side next to what is left of a 35x50 foot shop building


House Plant community Land lot Tree Rural area

this is one of her stock trailers and the sheet metal is the top of a 16 foot Butler grain bin

Wildlife Vegetation Natural landscape Nature reserve Tree

she didn't say what this is but it looks like maybe another trailer

Concrete mixer Plant community Tree Rural area Vehicle

this is a sooner 6 horse show trailer, the top is wrapped around a tree
 
#74 ·
If she needs a temporary place to put her horses, and doesn't mind they're in with cattle, I might be able to help. It's just a barbed wire fields, but when you've no where else to go.. I'm an Okie too. Hit hard myself. Compassion. Thoughts and prayers.
 
#75 ·
She is actually alright for places to put her horses, there were immediate neighbors (also horse people) who stepped in to help directly afterward. Now it is a matter of trying to put the pieces of her life and businesses back together. Thank-you for the offer though.
 
#79 ·
No. Nothing recent.

I am planning to take a drive up and bring her a few useful things I have gathered, but my truck needs a new fuel pump and my son is a mechanic so he was going to put that in for me...sometimes the price of having free labor is that you have to wait.

I'll give her a call this week to see how she is doing and then let y'all know.
 
#80 ·
This past sundays sermon was on why bad things happen to good people.

Still, this is just heartbreaking.

I hope she's able to find something positive in all this as it's just daunting. Where do you start when something like this happens?
 
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#81 ·
Sometimes tragedies give you a new perspective. It can really make you look around and go "Meh. Just stuff. The people who are irreplaceable are safe."

I don't know if I mentioned this but Cherie's son, his wife and their children live on the same piece of property with Cherie and her husband. Their house was also rendered unlivable by the storm, the house was moved off of its foundation and the roof caved in spots.

Be assured that she was very positive in that no one was hurt or killed the rest can be rebuilt given time. She was very thankful that they had installed the storm shelter last year (which she insisted be by her son's house) and that they had enough warning to all get to safety.
 
#82 ·
My aunt & uncle's farm was completely (except for the chicken coop) devastated by a tornado back in the 70's. She was at work when it hit and she coped with the loss fairly well. My uncle, on the other hand, was home at the time and hadn't even gotten all the way down the basement steps when it hit and although physically he was uninjured it was almost like he was in a state of shock for the rest of his life. I had spent a lot of time playing in their huge old barn (the kind with hewn beams that were pegged, not nailed) and it got turned into toothpicks. Dead pigs hanging in the trees pierced on a limb. It's a terrible thing to see let alone experience.
 
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