OXBOW — The Brock family has experienced both the full brunt of nature's fury and the great generosity of others in the past few days.
The family's farm southwest of Oxbow was destroyed by a powerful EF3 tornado that struck on the evening of June 9, levelling their house and other buildings at the farm.
Danny Brock said he was home that night with three of his four children, while his wife, Chelsea, was working in Oxbow. Brock said he follows storm chasers a lot, and he knew a storm was coming, but he never thought it would be so powerful. He received a tornado warning for the cellular coverage area.
When they saw the storm coming, he posted details about the system so other people would know where he and his family were and to make people aware of the approaching threat. Danny and the three children moved to the basement.
He noted the tornado came down their driveway and it looked like it broke when it reached their yard, leaving them hopeful the farm would be spared.
“I was still watching it, and I saw some tin, and it was going in a circle way out, and I told the kids to get in the [basement] bathroom now, and I got in the bathroom, and we lay as low to the ground as we could.”
He ordered his children to stay down and covered their heads. About 20 seconds after he shut the bathroom door, they could hear the storm tearing the house apart above them.
“The pressure on our heads was so bad," Danny recalled in an interview with SaskToday. "My daughter and my younger son both got nosebleeds instantly, like pouring nosebleeds. They’re crying, screaming and yelling. I’m trying to keep them quiet and keep them calm, and I’m trying to stay calm for them.”
Their two indoor dogs were in the bathroom with them.
'It seemed like … a month'
“It lasted probably two minutes. It seemed like it lasted a month when you’re in that situation," he said.
Once the twister passed, he was worried about the gas line and electrical sparks. Danny said he opened the bathroom door and checked to see if it was safe to escape. They had to remain in the basement because the hailstones were almost the size of tennis balls. They watched as the storm passed over their property.
“I don’t know how we walked away from that, honestly," he said.
A neighbour called a couple of times to check on the family and drove to the farm when it was safe.
Also destroyed were the barn, shop, Quonset, farm shed and more. Danny said he had a “beautiful” yard with 50-foot evergreen trees, but now it’s all gone.
One dog died in the storm
The two dogs that were in the basement bathroom with the family survived the storm. Before the storm hit, Danny placed the two outdoor dogs in a shop to protect them from the hail associated with the storm.
One dog died in the storm and the other disappeared. About three hours later, when the fire department was at the scene, the missing dog returned.
“I don’t know if he got thrown in the tornado or if he got out of the shop somehow and ran," said Danny. "He’s banged up a little bit, but he’s alive, and he was sure happy to see us and we were happy to see him. That was a positive for my kids, the one positive of the night, and they were extremely happy that one [outdoor] dog made it.”
Family is coping
The family is currently staying with Danny’s parents. He said everyone is doing as well as can be expected. They’re happy to be alive and they’re taking baby steps forward.
Mentally, Danny said they’ll have moments in which they’re doing well, but then, a short time later, they’ll suffer a setback.
Debris and possessions from the farm are spread all the way to Oxbow, he said, and he knows the cleanup will take some time. He praised their kids' friends for their support.
“They need their friends to talk to,” he said. “We have other stuff lined up that we’ll be talking to people to deal with mentally, how to handle this.”
GoFundMe campaign and other support
The support has extended beyond the Brock family's friends and relatives. For example, the family’s vehicles were destroyed, except for Chelsea's because she was in Oxbow.
“People are offering up their vehicles, their houses and everything,” said Danny.
The outpouring of donations and offers has left the family “grateful” for where they live, and they can’t believe how many people are willing to help.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by James Henderson to support the family. As of 2:20 p.m. on June 12, it had raised $50,089 of its $65,000 goal. The previous objective was $50,000, but the target has been elevated.
Henderson wrote: “While we are profoundly grateful that Danny, Chelsea, and their family survived this terrifying storm safely and without injury, the physical toll on their life's work is catastrophic.
“In a matter of minutes, their entire yard was wiped out. There are no buildings left standing. Their home, barns, and shops are gone. Heavy grain bins were tossed across the property and their essential farm equipment is heavily damaged.”
The post notes Danny and Chelsea are the first people to step up when someone else in the community is in trouble.
“Now, it is our turn to wrap our arms around them.”
Money raised from this campaign will go directly to Danny and Chelsea to fund their immediate needs and cleanup. The post thanked people for their generosity, prayers and community spirit during this "life-altering" disaster.
The family can’t believe the support they have received through the GoFundMe campaign, Danny said, noting people all over the province are rallying for them.
“My kids are grateful. My wife is grateful,” said Danny.
A gift card campaign was also launched for the family. Gift cards can be dropped off at Prairie Pride Credit Union’s Alameda branch, Alameda Agencies, Affinity Credit Union’s Oxbow branch and Exhale Massage Clinic in Estevan.
