Years-long recovery ahead for Minden: 'Hard to believe' what tornado destroyed, what's intact

MINDEN — When Larry Ehlers' wife, Dianne, died last spring, he decided to keep intact the last puzzle she completed.

For more than 13 months, the image depicting a snow-covered home sat in the couple's Minden basement just outside the bathroom that Larry Ehlers hid in Friday when a tornado swept through the tiny western Iowa town. While the rest of his home was destroyed, the puzzle remained as it was — complete and untouched.

“Somebody asked me if I brought it in yesterday and I said no,” Ehlers, 77, said. “It was there when the tornado hit the house. It’s one of those things that are hard to believe.”

Ehlers' home was one of the approximately 40% of homes in Minden that were damaged by the tornado Friday, said Craig Carlsen, public relations manager for Pottawattamie County. About 48 homes in the 600-person town are considered destroyed.

“This is ground zero really,” Carlsen said. “This town got crushed. But the spirit of these people has been phenomenal.”

He estimates it could take years to rebuild.

The tornado that ripped through Minden, killing one person and injuring three others, was one of at least 20 that touched down across the state Friday, according to an updated count from the National Weather Service.

More: Where is Minden, Iowa? What we know on the Iowa tornado that caused significant destruction

Officials believe the tornado in Minden was a "very strong" EF3, which can have wind speeds of up to 165 mph, according to a preliminary report. Evidence shows it started about 3 miles east of McClelland and intensified, widening "to approximately 800 yards as it impacted the town of Minden."

NWS believes the storm itself produced several vortexes, with evidence indicating some areas in Minden sustained damage from an EF1 tornado just 100 yards from where the higher wind speeds struck. The tornado continued northeast for about 45 miles, throwing at least one home off the foundation and overturning a semi before narrowly missing the town of Defiance. At one point the tornado was estimated to be a mile wide, the NWS said.

Damage from other tornadoes was reported in multiple counties from Crawford to Union and Ringgold up to Polk and Jasper counties. At least six were rated EF2, including the one that struck Pleasant Hill in the Des Moines metro.

Damage is still being evaluated, and NWS says additional tornado tracks and ratings will be added in coming days.

Ehlers looks to rebuild his dream home in Minden, Iowa

Minden remained closed off to the general public and media as of Monday afternoon due to extensive debris and the use of heavy equipment to clear it. What's left of Ehlers' home — the roof blown off and glass and drywall scattered everywhere — was close enough to the edge of town for the Des Moines Register to see.

Ehlers, a great-grandfather, worked with his family Monday to clear what was left of what he called his dream home.

Crouching down to pick up the debris with heavy duty work gloves, he recalled how he just missed serious injury from the tornado. He was standing outside in his driveway when it formed at about 6 p.m. Friday.

“I was looking southwest, and I could see two funnel clouds,” Ehlers said. “When it came down, it was one big tornado. I ran down through the house, as fast as a 77-year-old man could run, and just got into the basement down into the bathroom.”

A cold breeze blew through the broken windows Monday as he as walked down to the bathroom, which today is covered in bits of window glass, where he hid from the storm.

“I came running down those steps and went into this bathroom, and I couldn’t get the door to shut because there was so much pressure in this house,” he said. “I was hunkered against the wall and the wall was shaking. I was thinking, ‘This is it. I’m gone.’”

He battled the tornado for about 30 seconds.

Ehlers found that his sweatshirt pockets were filled with broken glass that the tornado blew in while he was running for safety.

Although his home is destroyed, Ehlers looks forward to the future back in his home, where he'll keep the words painted on an interior wall, still visible today: “Every day holds a possibility of a miracle."

“The guy who built my house in 2010 came by my house this morning and said, ‘We’ll put her up again,’” Ehlers said.

Volunteers not needed yet in Minden, Iowa, for storm cleanup

Because of the damage, officials are asking that volunteers and organizations not come to the area yet, according to a Pottawattamie County news release. Cleanup efforts and securing infrastructure began during the weekend, and as needs arise and safety conditions improve, officials will announce volunteer opportunities.

The American Red Cross had set up two shelters in the county but they weren't needed because many of the displaced residents were able to arrange overnight accommodations, Carlsen said.

“We have a lot of community support and a lot of agencies have reached out,” Carlsen said. “We’re fortunate that food, water and shelter have been in good order right now.”

More: Here's how you can help Iowa communities recover after last week's tornadoes

The three Pottawattamie County residents who were injured have been treated and released. Three more have suffered minor injuries during cleanup and recovery, including one first responder and two community members.

The identity of the person who died has not been released.

Those who are interested in helping can donate at the Community Foundation for Western Iowa’s website, givewesterniowa.org.

José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Minden residents clean up damage from EF3 tornado that hit Iowa town