MERRILLVILLE, Ind. (WLS) — A week after a tornado ripped through Merrillville, Joe and Marlene Trevino returned to the remains of their home, sifting through debris and trying to process the devastation left behind. The couple said surviving the storm has left them deeply shaken and anxious about what the future may hold.
Evidence of the EF-2 tornado is still strewn across their property, where the Trevinos had built their life together over the years.
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“Every time we see it, we just can’t believe it,” Joe Trevino said. “I mean, this is where we made our life in our home.”
The storm tore through the area in a matter of minutes. Trevino said the seriousness of the threat became obvious almost immediately as the weather worsened.
“Immediately like a five foot bush, full bush went flying by that tree, and I turned and ‘we got to go now’!” he said.
With little time to spare, the couple grabbed their dog, Roger, and rushed to the lowest level of the house, making it there just before the tornado struck.
“As we were going down the stairs, we could see daylight in the home, so the roof was already coming on, so we’re lucky to be alive,” Trevino said.
“It was tough. We just wanted to be alive. We were just hugging each other, and you know, praying to God that we’re going to be alive,” he added.
After the storm passed, Marlene Trevino recorded their first look at the damage-capturing a home without a roof and a lifetime of memories gone.
“I came out of our garage, and all the debris are all over, and I can’t believe our house is gone just like that, you know? I’m just under three minutes– gone,” she said.
For the family, the loss is compounded by financial strain. Trevino, a BP refinery worker in Whiting, has been without a paycheck since March amid a labor dispute.
“Things were tough and tight as it was, and then now we got this,” he said.
Despite everything, the couple says they are focused on what remains.
“At the end of the day, it’s stuff. Me and her, and the dog are alive, so we’re blessed,” Trevino said.
Officials say the storm’s impact has also led to tragedy elsewhere. A couple from Palos Hills survived the storm while in Portage but later died from carbon monoxide poisoning after using a portable generator.
With more storms expected, officials urge residents to use generators safely-keeping them at least 20 feet from homes and ensuring carbon monoxide alarms are installed on every level.
A GoFundMe for the Trevinos can be found here.
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