Another Moore Family Returns Home

Another house goes up in the neighborhood near Briarwood Elementary School.

Many homes in the area were completely destroyed and families have been trying to decide to rebuild or move away. The Herrera family decided to stay and thanks to volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, they should be in their new home by December.

"We are excited to see all the work they are doing so fast," said Ana Herrera as she looked at the framing of the house going up.

The lot was a constant buzz of construction starting early Saturday morning. Volunteers were sawing, hammering and hoisting the frame of a brand new house.

For the Herrera family, it's the start of a journey home. They survived the tornado in their storm shelter, but when they came out the devastation was overwhelming.

"I mean this area was really bad. The cars were in the neighbor's yard. The cars were everywhere," said Ana Herrera. "The first thing when we came out was all the parents looking for their kids and the kids were screaming and they were counting heads."

For the past five months, the family has slowly picked up the pieces and began looking forward. The construction Saturday solidified a decision to stay in Moore. They say with every piece of wood cut, nail hammered and wall raised, they are rebuilding more than a home, they are rebuilding their lives.

"We looked at the positive side, that at least our family was fine and our neighborhood was damaged, but thankful we didn't have any loss," said Herrera.

With the walls of the new house up, the Herrera family can envision the whole family coming over for the holidays, just like years past.

"We'll have to go Christmas shopping because all our Christmas decorations were taken during the tornado."

Continental Resources, the corporate sponsor, is paying for the Herrera's house and one other. They each cost about $90,000 to build. Habitat for Humanity plans to build 400 houses in the areas affected by the May tornadoes.