WAKITA, Okla. — Multiple twisters hit the town of Wakita almost a month ago.
2 News Oklahoma surveyed the damage and talked to victims then:
Now, 2 News caught up with the family to see how they're doing.
The storm took the roof off the home, shattered windows, lifted a truck out of the garage, and threw it hundreds of feet away. It also tore through the family's farm next door, depleting generations of work in seconds.
Wakita resident Travis Miller lives a few miles away from his childhood home and caught the tornado forming on camera. Knowing the area, he could tell something bad was coming.
"From my house down there, I got to watch, and I got it on video. I finally caught it with the lightning flashes. I could see it. Then I knew it. About that time, the power went off. Then my mom called and I asked her was she OK and she was like yes and no. The roof of the house is gone," Miller said.
The tornado hit both his childhood home and family farm, where his mother still lived. Miller said as soon as his mom got into the bathroom area, the destruction happened in a matter of seconds.
His father had just walked into his grandfather’s home next door. He had been to Wichita to get parts and was carrying groceries into the house when the tornado hit.
2 News Oklahoma connected with Miller after a viewer saw a social media post about about 2 News coverage of the storm.
Miller hadn't seen a tornado hit Wakita since high school. Wakita is also known as the city where the movie "Twister" was shot 30 years ago.
"It’s been hard to deal with. As much as that as everything here. It’s always been here as long as I can remember, since I was a little boy. It might not have been the biggest and prettiest but it was ours," Miller said.
Despite all of the damage his family’s properties received, Miller feels fortunate.
The tornado damaged six buildings, including his family’s home. One cow from a herd of cattle and equipment also received minor damage.
Miller said the next steps are to rebuild with the help of family and the community.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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