WHITELAND, Ind. — Hoosiers devastated by last weekend’s tornadoes are now preparing for another chance of severe weather across central Indiana.

Local leaders in Johnson County are putting volunteer cleanup efforts on hold as additional storms roll in. Those efforts will be suspended on Wednesday. Volunteers and homeowners were hard at work Tuesday trying to salvage anything they could.

As homeowners continue to pick up bits and pieces of debris scattered across their yards, many of those who lost their homes still remember the exact moment those pieces took off.

“You could see the nails trying to come out,” described Ronnie England, whose house was torn apart from left to right. “I just see the roof doing this [shaking hands sideways]. I don’t know what was happening. It just took the roof.”

Ronnie and his family bunkered down in the bathroom, thanks to his daughter’s suggestion. The group rode out the storm together as each nail quickly pulled apart from their home.

“It was almost breathing,” Ronnie described. “It was breathing, and when it stopped breathing, of course, the roof was gone. It was like the pressure in the house was pushing everything out.”

Family members like Ronnie’s brother Bobby England are just grateful they are still around.

“[It’s a] miracle,” Bobby said. “He had god on his side.”

Bobby said he immediately came down to help his brother after her first heard Whiteland took a direct hit.

“I was going to be there for my brother, one way or another,” he said.

Ronnie and his family are still processing the storm. On Tuesday, they continued to pick up debris across their yard and what used to be their home. Ronnie said he and his family were trying to prioritize some items more than others as they prepared for incoming storms.

“We’re trying to pick up as much clothes,” he said. “I got a 13-year-old daughter I’m trying to make her feel special. My daughter Christina, I’m just trying to make her feel special, and know that she doesn’t have anything to worry about.”

He and his family are also trying to salvage any memories blown astray.

“We’ve got a lot of family pictures that were in this house,” Bobby said. “A lot of family memories that were in this house and we want to keep those.”

As additional storms head in, local leaders want to pause any volunteer cleanup efforts in order to prevent any further harm.

“We don’t want to get anyone in bad situations,” said Michael Pruitt with the Johnson County Joint Incident Management Team. “We have unstable structures that are still out there. The winds are going to pick up debris, and it’s just not worth getting anyone injured.”

Pruitt said it is also a good chance for people to figure out what help they need.

“Tomorrow is probably going to be that good day to take a pause, take a breath, and think about where you are in the process of your recovery,” he said.

Anyone who lost their home or does not feel safe in their home can stay at Greenwood Middle School on Wednesday.

“People that aren’t feeling comfortable about staying home tomorrow, we understand,” Pruitt said. “People are scared to death.”

In the meantime, survivors are just grateful to still be surrounded by those they love most.

 “My family is everything,” Ronnie England said. “My daughter, she’s my life’s breath. I pray to god every day for everything they’ve given me and the support from my family.”

When cleanup efforts resume, local leaders are asking anyone interested in helping to first check in at the Family Assistance Center, which is located at the school administration building right across from the town hall. They say this will help better prepare new volunteers for some of the hazards left behind by the tornado.