15 March 2024
ROSSVILLE (KSNT) – A local man lost much of his property to Wednesday’s EF2 tornado. The next day, many in the community showed up to lend a helping hand.
Chad Shafstall’s friend experienced the wicked storm that rolled through Rossville around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“It messed his house up pretty good,” Shafstall said. “Took out all of his buildings to speak of. Luckily, he was just fine. He was in a safe room in the basement and that kept him from having any issues.”
From roofing companies, to Rossville’s chief of police directing traffic, Shafstall said the community quickly came to their aid.
“We’ve got Free State down there hooking his power up, and Dultmeier Construction’s patching his roof to keep any water damage from happening,” Shafstall said. “Everybody’s doing their part.”
Additionally, Shafstall said nearly 20 local students on spring break showed up to help clear debris that was spread across a half mile.
“When something goes wrong, we might not always get along personally with each other’s views, but when it comes down to it, when somebody needs a helping hand, I always say ‘be your brothers keeper,'” Shafstall said. “It’s easy to see, St. Marys, Silver Lake, Rossville — small town community, middle of the U.S.A. — it’s what we do.”