FRYBURG, Ohio — On the anniversary of a deadly EGF-3 tornado that tore through northwestern Ohio, one family whose home was destroyed is bracing for their first storm season in their new home, built on the same ground as the last.
Matthew and Angela Wuebbenhorst decided to clear the wreckage from their Fryburg property and rebuild after the strongest storm of 2024's record-breaking tornado season in Ohio tore apart their house on March 14, 2024.
"Can't hit the same place twice," Matthew said. "It's like lightning."
"That's how we're taking it," Angela said with a laugh.
"If it does, we're moving," Matthew said.
But that's the only reason Matthew said he would move away from this property in Auglaize County.
"It's a forever home," he said.
The couple is now settling into their new house with their four sons, Aiden, Maverick, Spencer and Woods. The building has a similar layout as their last home, but has additional space thanks to a basement. Angela said it offers some peace of mind their last house did not have.
"I've always been concerned about that," she said. "When we first moved here, I even asked, I said, 'Where do you go?'"
The new construction also includes a storm shelter with concrete walls, ceiling and floors.
"It took a lot of figuring out," Matthew said. "So he did. I think he did a really good job. It's actually ventilated and it has a dehumidifier in there. That's super nice."
The family was at a roller rink in St. Marys for youth hockey when the twister tore through their home last year. At the time, the sport was a new hobby for the Wuebbenhorsts.
"If we would've never got into hockey, we would've probably been home," Angela said.
When they heard about the destruction at their house, Matthew and Angela went to survey the damage while the boys stayed with their grandma.
"I was sent pictures of the house and I tried to hide it, but I ended up crying in the basement," said Aiden, 11. "Cause it's something that we had for a little bit."
It was the only house that he and his brothers knew and it was the same place their dad grew up. The pool is now all that remains from the original.
"Actually looked like this when I moved in when I was like 6," Matthew said. "It wasn't this bad, I mean we had concrete and stuff, but the lining was pulled down like that."
The family moved into their new house days before Christmas after spending about 10 months living in a small rental. Insurance funds are helping them build for the future.
"One of my biggest concerns about moving into his childhood home was it's not mine," Angela said. "Well, now we get to live on the property, and it's our vision."
Matthew said the family watched from the lot next door as their new house was constructed.
"They just put it together literally like a Lego set," he said.
But because of harsh winter weather, some exterior projects like laying concrete and landscaping remain to be completed. They are also waiting for a storage barn to be reconstructed on the property.
Matthew is also going through the painstaking process of sorting through items that were picked out of the rubble and placed in storage containers to determine what is salvageable. While some mementos and objects survived the storm, Angela said a lot of meaningful items like photos and family heirlooms are gone forever.
"I didn't want to get emotional about it," she said. "So again, it was stuff. But at the end of the day, I was like, okay, starting to get emotional over some of the stuff. Like, they're still my kids, it's still stuff that's important."
Matthew said he was hit hardest realizing a grill plate with his kids' painted handprints is gone.
"She tried to make a new one, but the paint didn't stick," he said. "I'm so bummed."
But happy to be back home. Thankful for the community's support the night of the storm and throughout the entire process.
"It still gives me chills," she said. "It was the biggest blessing ever."
As the Wuebbenhorsts move forward together, stronger through the storm.
