We Took a Direct Hit From a Large Tornado

Arms Family Homestead
30 Apr 202430:31

Summary

TLDRDaniel and DJ from Arms Family Homestead recount their harrowing experience with devastating storms that brought 4 to 5 feet of water through their pasture, causing significant damage. They describe the challenges of keeping their elderly family member safe in a storm shelter and the loss of DJ's mom's store, Buffalo Hippie, to the tornado. The aftermath includes searching for a missing baby donkey, assessing the damage to their property, and the emotional toll of the disaster. Despite the tragedy, they express gratitude for their family's safety and discuss plans to help their community recover. They provide an update on how viewers can contribute to disaster relief efforts through a local bank, emphasizing the importance of supporting those affected by the storms.

Takeaways

  • 🌪️ A devastating storm, including a tornado, hit the area causing significant damage to the town and the family's homestead.
  • 🏚️ Downtown Sulfur was severely impacted, with DJ's mom's store, Buffalo Hippie, being destroyed.
  • 👵 DJ's grandmother, who is almost 93 years old, was with the family in the storm shelter during the tornado.
  • 💧 The family experienced an unprecedented amount of rainfall, with 4 to 5 feet of water coming through the pasture.
  • 🚶 A baby donkey is missing, likely swept away by the floodwaters, and the family is searching for it.
  • 🏡 The family's house was spared, but the greenhouse and fences were severely damaged, with many items being washed away.
  • 🛠️ Daniel and DJ are eager to help their community and plan to use their equipment to assist in the recovery efforts.
  • 🔄 There is a sense of community and support, with the family feeling fortunate that their home and family members are safe despite the destruction around them.
  • 🚧 The town's infrastructure was heavily damaged, including a local business and historic downtown buildings.
  • 💰 The family is considering ways to raise funds for the community, such as through a t-shirt campaign or other charitable efforts.
  • 🎂 Amidst the chaos, the family celebrates the 16th birthday of their daughter, Emily, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy.

Q & A

  • What was the weather event that caused the damage described in the transcript?

    -The weather event that caused the damage was a series of devastating storms that included a massive tornado and heavy rainfall.

  • How long were Daniel and DJ in the storm shelter?

    -Daniel and DJ were in the storm shelter for about 3 hours.

  • What was the age of DJ's grandmother who was with them in the storm shelter?

    -DJ's grandmother was almost 93 years old.

  • What was the name of DJ's mom's store that was destroyed in the storm?

    -The name of the store was Buffalo Hippie.

  • How high did the water get on the greenhouse?

    -The water got up to 4 feet on the greenhouse.

  • What happened to the fences in the donkey pasture?

    -All the fences in the donkey pasture were knocked down and destroyed by the water and debris.

  • What was the condition of the baby donkey after the storm?

    -The baby donkey was missing, and it was uncertain whether it survived the storm given the high water levels.

  • What was the estimated depth of the water that came through the pasture?

    -The estimated depth of the water was four to five feet.

  • What was the condition of the greenhouse after the storm?

    -The greenhouse was severely damaged with water levels reaching 4 feet, and many wicking tubs were either destroyed or washed away.

  • How did the storm affect the local community and businesses?

    -The storm caused significant damage to the local community, with many businesses, including a multi-million dollar business called Disco Automotive, being completely destroyed.

  • What was the plan for helping the community after the storm?

    -The plan was to utilize available equipment to help clear debris and assist people in town whose buildings and homes were damaged. There was also a mention of potential fundraising efforts to support the town's recovery.

  • How can people donate to help with disaster relief in the community?

    -People can donate to help with disaster relief by visiting a specified website through a local bank in the hometown.

Outlines

00:00

🌪️ Tornado Aftermath and Family Safety

Daniel and DJ from Arms Family Homestead recount their harrowing experience during a series of devastating storms that included tornadoes. They describe taking shelter for three hours with DJ's 93-year-old grandmother. Sulfur, where DJ's mom's store 'Buffalo Hippie' was located, suffered a direct hit, resulting in significant damage. The aftermath includes assessing the condition of their animals, noting the high water levels that flooded the greenhouse and destroyed fences, and the concern for a missing baby donkey due to the severe flooding.

05:02

🏘️ Exploring the Damage and Reuniting Animals

The video continues with the hosts exploring the extent of the damage around their property. They find debris on the bridge and a wicking tub from the greenhouse, indicating the high water levels. They discuss the destruction of fences and the temporary relocation of their donkeys to the goat pasture due to the damage. The search for the missing baby donkey continues, with the hosts expressing concern about the difficulty the young animal would have faced against the powerful floodwaters.

10:02

🚜 Planning Recovery and Aiding the Community

Despite the devastation, the hosts are determined to help their community. They discuss the challenges of accessing their equipment due to the muddy and messy conditions. A plan is formulated to use a piece of equipment to assist friends whose buildings and homes have been destroyed. The urgency to act is emphasized as they prepare to move the equipment to a safer location once conditions allow, highlighting the resilience and community spirit in the face of disaster.

15:09

🏚️ The Impact on Local Businesses and the Community

The hosts express their concern for the broader community, mentioning the destruction of a neighbor's multi-million dollar business, Disco Automotive. They contrast this with the relative safety of their own property, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of the storm's impact. The video captures the emotional toll of the disaster, as they discuss the loss of a baby donkey and the need to reassure and comfort their animals. They also mention the need to help with the cleanup and recovery efforts in town.

20:42

📫 Post-Disaster Cleanup and Emotional Resilience

The narrative shifts to the cleanup process and the emotional challenges faced by the hosts and their community. They discuss the loss of a local post office and the urgency to remove expensive bison meat from a damaged facility. The hosts express empathy for a mother donkey that lost her baby and the broader impact on their friends and family. They acknowledge the blessing of their family's safety amidst the tragedy and the need to replace destroyed fences. The mention of a fatality and ongoing search and rescue efforts underscores the severity of the situation.

25:42

🌱 Greenhouse Destruction and Future Fundraising

The hosts survey the damage to their greenhouse, noting the high water levels and the debris that was once inside. They express relief that they were not growing a garden at the time. The video captures the hosts' commitment to supporting their community, with plans to share information about fundraising efforts to help those affected. They provide an update on a local bank's initiative for disaster relief donations and encourage viewers to contribute. The video concludes with a personal note about the host's daughter's birthday and a reminder to spread kindness and smiles in the face of adversity.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Storm Shelter

A storm shelter is a reinforced structure designed to protect people from severe weather conditions, such as tornadoes. In the video, the family took refuge in a storm shelter for three hours during the storm, highlighting its importance as a safety measure during extreme weather events. The mention of DJ's grandma, who is almost 93 years old, emphasizes the inclusiveness and necessity of such shelters for all age groups.

💡Tornado

A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. The video describes the devastation caused by a direct hit from a massive tornado in Sulfur, illustrating the destructive power of these natural disasters.

💡Devastation

Devastation refers to extensive damage or destruction, often caused by a natural disaster or a violent act. The video script describes the aftermath of the storm, with downtown areas, stores, and fences severely damaged or completely gone, showcasing the widespread devastation that occurred.

💡Greenhouse

A greenhouse is a structure with walls and roof made primarily of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown. In the context of the video, the greenhouse is mentioned as being severely affected by the floodwaters, with water levels reaching up to 4 feet inside, causing significant damage and loss of equipment.

💡Flood

A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land which is usually dry. The script describes a flood with water levels reaching up to 5 feet in the pasture, causing the loss of a baby donkey and the destruction of fences. This highlights the impact of the storm on the family's property and livestock.

💡Donkeys

Donkeys are domesticated animals known for their endurance and used as working animals. In the video, the family is concerned about the whereabouts of their donkeys after the flood, with one baby donkey missing. The donkeys' situation represents the personal and emotional toll of the disaster on the family.

💡Debris

Debris refers to scattered remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up. The script mentions debris on the bridge and from destroyed fences, indicating the extent of the physical damage caused by the storm and floodwaters.

💡Alpacas

Alpacas are domesticated animals native to the Andean region of South America, valued for their soft, luxurious fleece. In the video, the family checks on their alpacas after the storm, finding them a bit spooked but otherwise okay. This shows the family's concern for all their animals, not just those directly involved in the disaster.

💡Community Support

Community support refers to the assistance and encouragement provided by members of a community to each other, particularly in times of need. The video script mentions the family's intention to help others in town with their equipment, demonstrating a strong sense of community and the importance of mutual aid following a disaster.

💡Charitable Efforts

Charitable efforts are actions taken to raise funds or provide aid for those in need, often in response to a disaster or crisis. The video discusses potential charitable actions, such as setting up a GoFundMe or creating a t-shirt sale to support the town's recovery, showing the family's commitment to helping their community rebuild.

💡Infrastructure Damage

Infrastructure damage refers to the harm caused to the basic physical and organizational structures, such as buildings, roads, and fences, that support the operation of a society or enterprise. The video details the destruction of fences, a store, and other structures, emphasizing the extensive repair and rebuilding work needed in the aftermath of the storm.

Highlights

Daniel and DJ from Arms Family Homestead experienced devastating storms that lasted for hours.

They took shelter for approximately 3 hours with DJ's 93-year-old grandmother.

Sulphur, where DJ's grandmother lives, was directly hit by a massive tornado causing extensive damage.

DJ's mom's store, Buffalo Hippie, was severely damaged and is now non-existent.

The storms occurred in waves every 30 minutes, each potentially generating tornadoes.

The family found their donkeys mixed together with fences knocked down and water levels reaching up to 4 feet.

A baby donkey is missing, likely swept away by the 4 to 5 feet of water that came through the pasture.

The greenhouse was flooded with water up to 4 feet high, causing significant damage and loss of equipment.

Debris from destroyed buildings and a washed-out bridge indicate the extent of the storm's impact.

The family is trying to relocate their animals to areas with intact fences due to the widespread damage.

Despite the devastation, the family expresses gratitude for their safety and the safety of their family members.

The community is mobilizing to help each other, with Daniel planning to use his equipment to assist in town.

A local business, Disco Automotive, was completely destroyed by the tornado.

The family is considering ways to raise funds for the community, such as through t-shirts or charitable donations.

A website has been set up for direct donations to support disaster relief in their community.

Daniel emphasizes the importance of community support and staying positive during difficult times.

The family is focusing on cleanup and recovery, with Daniel's daughter Emily celebrating her 16th birthday amidst the chaos.

Transcripts

00:00

but there was four to 5T of water coming

00:03

through this

00:05

pasture

00:07

and we have no idea where she's

00:20

at what's up guys it's Daniel and DJ

00:23

from arms family Homestead and I'm sure

00:25

by now most everyone knows um went

00:29

through some pretty devast ating storms

00:30

last night we were in the storm shelter

00:33

for 3 hours probably yeah until almost

00:36

2:00 this time uh luckily um DJ's

00:40

grandma was with us she's uh 93 almost

00:44

93 almost 93 years old and getting her

00:46

down in a storm

00:47

shelters not the easiest thing to do but

00:51

she lives in town in Sulfur and sulur

00:54

took a direct hit from a massive tornado

00:57

lots of devastating damage um down town

01:00

area is pretty much gone DJ's mom owns a

01:03

store downtown called buffalo hippie and

01:06

it's pretty much non-existent anymore um

01:10

there was just like wave after wave

01:12

after wave of these storms that were

01:13

coming through about every 30 minutes

01:15

and they were all spinning up tornadoes

01:17

in the area and uh I think everything is

01:21

good here but DJ and I just woke up we

01:24

were up most of the night just woke up

01:27

and looked out in the yard and all the

01:29

donkeys are mixed together

01:31

and Charlie was walking across the yard

01:33

so we got to get Brandon separated but

01:35

guys I don't know how much rain we got

01:38

in just a few hours last night I've

01:40

never I've never seen anything like this

01:43

in my life I've lived here my entire

01:46

life and I've never seen water get up

01:49

this High Charlie you back in your

01:54

pasture

01:56

uh I have no idea where the donkeys went

02:00

okay we got to get Brandon guys like

02:04

okay so our house is here right the

02:07

creek is the creek runs down there you

02:09

guys have seen the creek a million times

02:12

I can see it h yeah I can see the creek

02:15

too I know we're not doing anything in

02:17

the greenhouse but look how high the

02:20

water was there

02:22

was the water was 4 ft up on the

02:25

greenhouse and it knocked down all of

02:27

our fences there's self-wicking tubs

02:29

that were in the Greenhouse have floated

02:31

out and

02:32

probably you know what Marissa was

02:35

supposed to come get all my wicking tubs

02:37

yesterday for flowers well there they

02:39

are well most of them are probably in

02:41

the creek and gone we had a bunch more

02:44

there were about 20 in there so well

02:47

uh but oh my gosh all of our fences are

02:52

just laying on the ground from debris

02:55

from the

02:57

water uh

03:00

we need to get a halter and Lead rope

03:01

we've got to get Brandon separated all

03:02

the donkeys are together because all the

03:04

fences are down back here looks like the

03:06

goat pasture is

03:08

okay so we'll have to put Brandon up

03:10

there with the goats for now okay

03:20

okay

03:24

guys we're missing the baby donkey DJ's

03:28

looking

03:32

Felicia had her baby just a couple weeks

03:36

ago but there was four to 5 ft of water

03:40

coming through this

03:42

pasture

03:43

and we have no idea where she's at

03:46

[Music]

04:01

I think we lost a baby donkey

04:03

guys we're still searching

04:07

but I mean you could imagine how much

04:10

water it takes to completely rip out a

04:13

fence that went through

04:16

here you know there's got to be some

04:19

spots four 5 6 ft of water going through

04:22

here and

04:25

uh little baby donkey just can't can't

04:28

fight can't swim through that

04:31

we'll keep looking she may have gone to

04:33

high ground but I think her mama would

04:35

have found her by

04:56

now guys

04:59

I've never seen the creek this

05:01

High I'm almost 40 I mean it's not that

05:05

high right

05:08

now but look at the debris on the

05:14

bridge there was water above the bottom

05:17

of the bridge but let's explore up here

05:23

so this telephone pole I have tied a

05:26

boat to this telephone pole in the past

05:27

in 2015 but

05:30

I've never seen water almost 6 feet up

05:33

in the

05:36

air

05:38

yeah where the I know I saw it there's

05:41

one of the wicking tubs one of my old

05:43

wicking tubs from

05:45

the from the greenhouse so we're going

05:48

to walk up here and show you where

05:51

the water line from the creek

05:54

[Applause]

05:55

was oh my gosh

06:00

yeah that came from my

06:04

Greenhouse

06:06

so here's

06:08

where the final water line

06:12

was okay let me turn around and show you

06:14

how far we are from the

06:18

creek that's how high the creek got last

06:21

night and you can see debris up on the

06:25

bridge was taking fences out here took

06:28

out all our fence all our fences are

06:30

destroyed in all the donkey pasture

06:32

areas there's some sheet metal

06:36

debris I don't like I said I don't think

06:39

we took any actual tornado

06:43

damage but there's debris

06:45

from someone

06:48

else's metal building for

06:53

sure oh

06:56

gosh we got to check on all our people

07:04

[Applause]

07:13

come on

07:14

donkeys let's

07:16

go come on

07:18

Mama I'm sorry we can't find your

07:21

baby we'll keep looking I

07:24

promise okay come here I

07:28

know it's okay Mama it's okay

07:32

everybody's a little scared this morning

07:34

all right here hang on let me open the

07:36

gate y'all are going to have to live

07:37

with the goats for a

07:39

while I think all the goat pin fences

07:42

are good cuz it's a little higher

07:46

ground come on

07:51

donkeys come on

07:55

donkeys come

07:57

on come on

08:01

let's go Brandon you're going to have to

08:04

go live with the boys for a little

08:06

while I got one one more Mama to

08:11

get baby Baker's

08:18

okay I'm going to have to get Fiona over

08:21

here no come on Fiona hey hey hey

08:27

Felicia get back get back get back get

08:30

back get back get

08:34

back F's being hard-headed this morning

08:37

Felicia you can't go I'm sorry go get

08:40

back get back

08:42

Bri come on hi baby

08:47

girl might to miss some of that during

08:49

the

08:51

night well maybe he didn't get the ones

08:56

that didn't need to be bread bread

09:03

you got to go with the

09:07

bo we don't have any way to keep

09:09

everybody separate now we

09:11

have the Bro pin and the Goat pin and

09:14

that's all we're down to right now

09:16

yep sounds like a lot of donkeys might

09:18

be going

09:20

to merch Place yeah if there's fences

09:24

over there yeah Mom's going to look

09:30

why why aren't we well we are but she

09:33

said they'd go

09:37

[Applause]

09:45

now come on sorry up on your

09:50

eyes come

09:57

on to be

10:01

[Applause]

10:06

aners the Bros are

10:10

[Music]

10:14

good come

10:16

on come

10:20

on there you all right Charlie you okay

10:26

buddy come on

10:29

come

10:31

on got to go live with the goats for a

10:34

little while take a lift there you go

11:04

this direct path is less than a mile

11:07

from our merch

11:10

building oh my

11:25

gosh you see the alpacas anywhere no

11:30

y

11:33

there hey

11:37

girls you have a rough

11:46

night a little spooky are you hey

11:50

fancy you all

11:53

okay

11:56

good yeah they're a little spooky but

11:59

they're okay and all their fences are

12:03

good less than a mile away total

12:07

Destruction our uh neighbor big big

12:11

business called disco Automotive it's

12:13

completely destroyed and it's

12:15

a multi-million dollar business I mean

12:18

it just tornado ripped through it but

12:21

everything looks good here less than a

12:24

mile from it though

12:33

[Music]

12:39

all right you guys there's just there's

12:41

just not much at all that I can do here

12:44

it's too muddy too messy we got

12:47

everything put up as best we can for now

12:50

we're still missing a baby donkey

12:52

and probably not going to find that baby

12:55

but I've got too much equipment sitting

12:57

here to not utilize problem is I can't

12:59

get it out right now

13:02

so there's no way I can drag this stuff

13:04

out of here across that Creek I'm kind

13:06

of waiting on the creek to go down but

13:07

I've Got Friends in town who lots of

13:09

friends personal close friends best

13:12

friends whose buildings are destroyed

13:14

whose homes are in shambles and uh got

13:17

the perect perfect piece of equipment

13:19

here so I'm at least going to get this

13:20

thing fueled up get it down by the creek

13:22

as soon as it gets down low enough my

13:24

buddy that's got the bulldozer that's

13:26

been helping me on my neighbor property

13:28

they own a a liquor store in town and it

13:30

got smashed and he owns a recer service

13:34

so he's going to bring one of his roll

13:35

backs and at least get me to town with

13:37

this and we can start helping people so

13:39

we'll

13:53

see

13:56

well Creek's too deep still I just it's

13:58

not not safe to

14:01

cross just uh I don't know how much mud

14:04

and debris piled up over there I drove

14:05

out in here got up where water was

14:09

coming onto the onto the cab pretty good

14:11

and I still hadn't quite hit the deepest

14:15

part it just sucks cuz Freedom's right

14:18

there huh my only other option is to

14:21

drive this thing across my neighbor's

14:23

pasture and get out but it's about a

14:24

mile drive to where somebody could where

14:26

we could load it up it's too muddy to

14:28

take a trailer across a pasture

14:30

so I I can't I can't sit here and do

14:34

nothing all right on to plan

14:37

B uh this is going to take a minute but

14:41

we're going to get there merch

14:43

building's good our rides here let's

14:46

load this thing

14:49

[Music]

14:51

up well I didn't get the loading on

14:54

video but

14:55

uh it's a little intense back backing up

14:59

on this

15:00

[Music]

15:09

thing all right let's do this you guys

15:14

know me I can't sit around and not do

15:15

anything at all it's tearing me up

15:18

inside so we found a way where there's a

15:21

wheel there's a way we're going to take

15:23

this thing town try to help as many

15:25

people as we can

15:50

down down smashed

16:07

off

16:15

mhm all car par up here yep

16:40

[Music]

16:49

[Applause]

16:56

all right really

16:59

get this backom here yeah let me just

17:01

move this a little bit huh might let me

17:05

move this just a little bit then I can

17:06

slide all that for easy

17:15

[Applause]

17:22

[Music]

18:07

[Music]

18:30

[Music]

18:48

[Applause]

18:49

[Music]

18:58

on

19:00

[Music]

20:02

not

20:08

[Music]

20:41

l

21:05

so

21:15

much be

21:24

careful e

21:26

think so that that is our post

21:32

office holy

21:39

cow W Emily mouse pad was on the

21:51

floor think she to put

21:55

[Music]

22:10

go

22:23

out so OG is uh that's our uh Power

22:28

company they are making us hurry up and

22:31

get everyone

22:34

out like immediately buildings are

22:36

starting to collapse I guess so we're

22:38

going to have to hurry up and get out

22:39

Dusty is trying to get all of his bison

22:42

meat out of here uh because it's

22:45

obviously um very expensive and we need

22:48

to get that taken care of so we're

22:50

fixing to leave

23:02

hey

23:04

Mama sorry we can't find your

23:08

baby I just don't think she's going to

23:10

be coming

23:12

back you got Bri you're going to adopt

23:14

Bri for us Bri need a mama

23:20

H I'm sorry I know you're

23:25

sad well y'all

23:30

that was quite the

23:32

day quite the night last night quite the

23:35

day

23:37

today sitting here looking around at the

23:40

mess we've got to clean

23:42

up but feeling very blessed and

23:45

fortunate we're all still here our

23:47

family's all safe all of our family's

23:50

homes are

23:51

safe a lot of

23:53

friends property was destroyed a lot of

23:56

friends

23:58

stuff and just stuff I'm my

24:01

mother-in-law's store her business is

24:03

gone my best friends you know their

24:05

business is gone one of their

24:09

businesses and we've just got a mess to

24:11

clean up lots of fences

24:14

down fences can be replaced lives can't

24:17

and there were there was at least one

24:20

fatality um all we were cleaning up the

24:23

mess today they still in search and

24:26

rescue mode and I'm thankful I'm blessed

24:28

that I'm not on that side of things

24:31

anymore I feel like I can actually do

24:33

more help more with equipment and things

24:36

but one one person was located in the in

24:41

the rubble downtown just caddy corner

24:43

from my uh mother-in-law's store and

24:48

small town

24:49

America I mean everybody knows everybody

24:52

I don't know how many people were

24:53

injured I haven't heard any final

24:54

reports but so far that I know of only

24:56

one fatality

24:58

and uh for that I guess we're we're

25:01

blessed our family was blessed and we're

25:04

[Applause]

25:06

safe it's just a it's just a

25:15

mess you guys are going to have to bear

25:17

with me and walk with me on this one you

25:20

see all these railroad

25:22

ties I Ed those railroad ties I used a

25:26

bunch of railroad ties a couple years

25:28

ago to build a little drive over bridge

25:30

by the pond and the pond is several

25:34

hundred yards through the timber that

25:35

way and that bridge or drive over is

25:39

washed out I said I have no idea where

25:41

all the railroad ties

25:43

went never would have dreamed they'd be

25:45

sitting here almost in the

25:48

greenhouse they are piled up against

25:50

that tree there probably scattered all

25:53

over this

25:55

pasture and then fences are some of the

25:57

fences are completely gone it's

26:00

a let's walk in the greenhouse obviously

26:02

it was not growing a garden in here but

26:05

look at the look at the water level look

26:07

how high the water was in the greenhouse

26:10

okay so a lot of the stuff you see all

26:13

the trash back here was inside our

26:18

Greenhouse I

26:21

guess it's a mess look at this I guess

26:26

I'm glad I wasn't growing a Garden in

26:28

the

26:29

greenhouse because there would be

26:31

nothing

26:33

left it uh it just destroyed everything

26:37

in here floated out all of my wicin tubs

26:41

it's crazy the crazy thing is is those

26:43

wicking tubs were supposed to go to my

26:45

sister-in-law to Marissa cross timers

26:47

bison like this week matter of fact she

26:49

was actually supposed to come pick them

26:50

up yesterday but with the weather they

26:53

didn't and a lot of them

26:56

are well not a lot of them some of them

26:59

are right there some of them went down

27:02

the creek and probably ended up in the

27:05

lake and I'm sure by now by the time

27:08

this posts everyone will seen have seen

27:10

all the news footage there were TV

27:12

cameras TV Crews from all over the place

27:15

helicopters flying all over downtown our