Grand Mound family loses home after tornado rips through town on March 31

GRAND MOUND, Iowa (KWQC) - An old farmhouse on 230th Street in Grand Mound was destroyed by a tornado back on March 31 with three people trapped inside.

First Responders showed up on scene in a matter of minutes and were able to remove the folks safely, but were unable to salvage their home.

“The house was built by my Grandfather back in 1918.” Joe Mackin, property owner said.

125 years of family history gone, Mackin says how hard it is to believe.

“I lived here from the time I was a little tiny baby,” Mackin said. “My dad was born here, my, you know, and my, my siblings all were born close to here and I don’t have it anymore.”

Donna Mackin, Joe’s wife said they had no time to seek shelter.

“When we hit the landing, we saw the tornado and it took up the whole window, out across the field,” Donna Mackin said. “And by the time we hit the basement, I went left, and Joe went right, and something hit me in the back and laid me down.”

“I look up and here’s our son, Jacob, in a little triangle right above Joe and Joe said, I’m in trouble, can you move something,” Donna Mackin said. “And I tried to move stuff, but it was so trapped in there that I couldn’t move anything.”

if it wasn’t for the First Responder’s that day, Donna says, Joe might not have made it out.

“By the time I got out the Sheriff was there, Donna Mackin said. “And if it wouldn’t have been for those, those First Responders and the Sheriff, he would have gave up.”

Even though their home is gone, the Mackin’s are hopeful for brighter days ahead.

“I hope the future brings this to a better place, that we’ll have a new place, we’d like to build a pull barn house, because it makes the most sense nowadays.” Donna Mackin said.

The Mackin’s say they are still currently getting estimates from contractors to get the destruction cleaned up.

If you would like to donate to the Mackin family you can go to their Facebook page “The Mackin Family” where they have a Go Fund Me account set up.

Copyright 2023 KWQC. All rights reserved.