Tornado survivor moves back to Creekwood neighborhood after losing everything

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - “It has been I tell you a trying year. I lost everything,” said Latonya Webb, a Creekwood resident who lost everything in the December 2021 tornadoes.

You never know how strong you are until it’s the only choice you have - a statement that couldn’t be more true for those in the Creekwood neighborhood.

“It was completely blown away. My house was completely damaged,” Webb said.

One year ago, the EF 3 tornado tore through the Creekwood neighborhood, the place where more than a dozen people lost their lives.

“I experienced in this last year the PTSD, the anxiety, but just talking with someone, letting someone know how you feel, letting someone know exactly what is going on, talking with someone and he helps so much,” Webb said.

Now, survivors like Webb are driven to no less a goal of full recovery together.

“Just to be here today, just to be here today. And to think about last year, not 360 days ago, the position and where I stood, and where I stand now,” Webb said.

Her old home has now been completely rebuilt. She had the option to move back in, but she said they memories of what she saw that night were too painful.

“I wanted to go back there, but every time I visit that area, it’s like reliving that night all over again. Every time I even drive near their street, I can feel like my heart speeding up or palpitations when I even drive near the street. I had to make a choice of do I want to feel like this every day, every day, living in fear or thinking, hey, it could happen again here or just bringing back so many memories of that night,” Webb said.

Even with those struggles, Webb has come a long way in a year. She’s moved into a new home, just down the street from where her old one once stood. She’s now ready to make new memories while appreciating the challenges she’s overcome.

With the help of neighbors and strangers alike, Webb has hope for her future. She says she couldn’t have made it this far alone.

“I’m standing here with a hammer to rebuild my life and the person beside me has got a screwdriver, and this person has got bricks and mortar and I didn’t have to rebuild this by myself,” Webb said.

Creekwood remains a work in progress, but the future of those who endured the events of that night is strong.

“We will forever forever have a bond. I will forever be grateful to the city of Bowling Green,” Webb said.

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