OAK HARBOR, Ohio — 89-year-old Victor Harder is bouncing back after his home was destroyed by an EF2 tornado in June. We checked back in with him to see how his reconstruction progress is going ahead of winter.
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“There has been a lot done,” Harder said. “I got a good crew working for me.”
The tornado ripped off Harder’s roof, crumbled his kitchen, then heavy rain to follow ruined just about everything inside. The damage was so severe the house is getting entirely rebuilt, a process that hasn't been easy but comes with some perks.
“Right here is where a big 30 by 60 inch window is going to be, and I am going to have a big window over here,” Harder added. “So, everything is shaping up. I am happy for it,” said Victor Harder. “I am just glad it was built good back in ‘58.”
Harder's daughter Vicki was home with him when the tornado hit. She's amazed they both made it out.
"I think a month later is when it hit me what we'd been through,” said Vicki Rae Harder-Throne. “You walk out of a place unharmed and alive, and you don't have time to think about what just happened.”
Harder said progress is moving along quickly. He's grateful for his insurance and is happy News 5 came back to pay him a visit.
“I am glad to see you did,” said Harder.
He wants to be moved back into his home by his 90th birthday in April.
“We are going to have a party, but we aren't going to blow the roof off,” Harder joked.
