WHITELAND, Ind. — Glenn and Debbie Gant were celebrating their wedding anniversary the night a tornado hit and destroyed their home.
Now they say they are lucky to be alive.
“The house is gone, and the cars are gone, but we have got our life and we have got our family,” Debbie Gant said.
The Gants have lived in their home in Whiteland for nearly 30 years. This is where they built a family, raised their two sons, and created many memories.
But the place they called home for so many years would end up destroyed in a matter of minutes.
“Right behind me, it [the tornado] picked me up and took me clear to the kitchen where I was just stranded,” Debbie Gant said. “I watched the front door come off and come towards me. There was so much going on and around the house.”
And in that very moment, Debbie Gant didn’t know if she would make it out alive.
“I prayed in the hallway,” she said. “That’s all I can do was pray. ‘Please get us out of this,’ and God did he brought us through it. We thank God every day for this and for the rest of our lives.”
Debbie and her family walked away with no injuries. Her son says it is truly a miracle.
“I am so thankful,” Ryan Gant said. “They are strong people.”
The Gant’s family home was just one of dozens destroyed during Friday’s tornado.
The National Weather Service has now declared it as an EF2 tornado with peak wind gusts of 135 mph.
A devastating storm like this one has reminded the Gants of what is truly important in life – Family!
“I love them,” Ryan Gant said. “I love them so much. It’s still just so emotional just thinking about what the outcome could’ve been and honestly should’ve been.”
As the Gants work together to pick up and save the final memories from their home, they are looking forward to a hopeful future.
“It’s been wonderful how the town has come together for the people that need them, and we will always be there for the town of Whiteland,” Debbie Gant said.
Clean-up efforts are underway now, and the Gants hope they can start the rebuilding process soon.
