VILLA RIDGE, Mo. – A Villa Ridge family is grateful to be safe after severe storms tore through their home Friday evening, toppling trees and sending a shed flying through their backyard.
Kevin Fee, a father in a family of eight at the home, reflected on the scary experience at his home near Missouri Highway 110.
Fee said his shed was ripped from his yard and blown into a tree line. A massive, 250-year-old tree, which he says was one of the largest in Missouri, was also brought down by the storm.
Despite the destruction, Fee and his family, including their pets, made it through unharmed.
“Thank God we are safe,” said Fee. “Our ears popped when it hit. I was able to get everyone down to the basement. Everyone made it through. That’s the big key. Materials can be replaced.”
Fee recalled receiving storm alerts and having a plan in place. As heavy rain and lightning passed, he noticed an eerie calm. Then, his ears popped, prompting immediate action.
“As soon as our ears popped, we all said, ‘Get to the basement!’ And we were able to make it in time. As soon as I said get to the basement, I saw the shed, or parts of it, go across the window. And in not even five minutes, it wasn’t raining anymore. That’s when I came out and saw damage.”
Fee, who has experienced eight tornadoes at his home, said this experience was different. He’s used to preparing for storms in the daytime, but at night, it’s harder to pick up warning signs.
“It was scary. You do your best to keep your cool,” he said.
Villa Ridge was among the hardest-hit communities from Friday evening’s tornado-warned storms. Parts of Arnold, Bridgeton and Rolla also experienced significant damage.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has not confirmed final tornado counts or locations, though that will follow ongoing storm surveys in the coming days.
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