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Friends, neighbors lend helping hand after Friday's tornado

The Brocks say they were at a doctor's appointment when the storm hit, coming back to find tree and debris at their New Middletown, Indiana home.

NEW MIDDLETOWN, Ind. (WHAS11) -- The light breeze Saturday afternoon feels comfortable on a summer day, a big contrast from just 24 hours earlier when tornadic winds ripped through Harrison County, leaving a trail of destruction in its path.

"This was just unreal," Deanna Brock said.

Twisted metal, snapped trees and what used to be a garden, a shed, a lawn mower, smashed to bits, are what's left surrounding Brock's home. The house itself, escaping most of the damage, but its surroundings are unrecognizable to Brock and her husband.

"I had this favorite old hickory tree that if you look right over there, you can see it," she said. "It's huge. It's been there since before this home was built. There it is now in the ground."

The Brocks were at a doctor's appointment when the storm hit, arriving back to their home of 34 years to find it covered in downed trees and debris. After a sleepless night, the couple woke up to learn the destruction was not just a bad dream.

"Every time you come out, you see something else that's devastating that you don't really think about. You can't take it all in at once," she said.

But while the cleanup may appear daunting, the Brocks said they've gotten plenty of help with friends and neighbors helping to move debris, a friend named Artie even lending his bulldozer free of charge.

"Cleared out the trees and the debris from the front of the house so that the electric company could come in and get a pole set and get our wiring back up so we can have some electricity tonight," Brock said.

But the photos of destruction are not the only pictures of the storm's aftermath. Stacks of bottled water and trays of food at the New Middletown Volunteer Fire Department tell another story of compassion.

"Unbelievable the amount of food, water and support we've got from the community that hasn't been involved in this," New Middletown Volunteer Fire Lt. Jerry Gleitz said.

Volunteers have been busy preparing meals and supplies for people like the Brocks who face a long road to recovery, some even delivering meals to people to remind them to take a break.

"It's a small knit family around here, a small community," Gleitz said.

"It's encouraging to know that there are people that are concerned about your well-being," Brock said.

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