At 7:55 p.m. on April 13, 2006, tornado sirens blared in Anamosa as residents were leaving church services for Holy Week.
When some of the residents returned to their rural homes they found chaos and destruction. Now, one year later, one would hardly believe a tornado had ripped a swath through rural Anamosa on that spring evening, damaging 40-50 homes.

The landscape has changed a bit at Lead Mine Addition, where the majority of damage occurred. The most noticeable difference is Scooters, which was built on the property that housed the old Majerus Horse Stable.

Marvin Rathje, who lives in Lead Mine Addition and lost a garage to the twister has rebuilt. Rathje, who was once a storm spotter, was opening the windows in his home as the tornado hit.

“It was gray when I got to the window and I couldn’t see anything–that’s about the time debris started hitting the window,” he recalled last week.

Rathje said he and his neighbors got a lot of help from others in the community. “We all really appreciated all the support and help we got out here afterward.”

Richard Peterson, who lives in Deer Wood Trails, had damage to his home, which included the roof and windows, but no structural damage.

Peterson and his wife Annette have nine children and got a lot of help from them.

“I think six or seven of the families were here and some church friends. By the end of the weekend we had it all pretty well cleaned up,” Peterson remembered. “It’s really unfortunate that it happened, but it really makes you appreciate your friendships more.”

Both men said the tornado hasn’t made them jumpy when the sky turns gray.

“It doesn’t bother me so much, but my wife and daughter and some of the neighbors get a little apprehensive when it gets dark and windy,” included Rathje.

“I think the biggest change is that when you see a tornado on T.V., you can really relate to those people,” added Peterson.

The tornado was an F-1 according to the National Weather Service. Only one minor injury was reported due to the storm.

A tornado watch means that conditions are ideal for a tornado to form, and that you should be ready to take cover if a tornado should be spotted.

A tornado warning means that a tornado has been sighted in the area and you should take cover immediately.

The best place to go during a tornado is the basement or cellar. If you don’t have a basement or cellar, go to the most interior room of the structure, away from windows and exterior doors.