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![\"Truck\"](\"http:\/\/www.covchurch.org\/uploads\/Sm\/Ey\/SmEy5ezV2uc5MdlaPQGkxA\/Swanson-truck.jpg\")
\u201cThey\u2019re still in a state of disbelief,\u201d says retired Evangelical Covenant Church Pastor, Jim Swanson, whose house was struck by the tornado. \u201cWe\u2019re all wondering what day it is.\u201d<\/p>\nNEW SMYRNA BEACH (February 8, 2007) \u2013Survivors of a tornado that heavily damaged this community early Friday morning are still coming to grips with what has happened to them and their friends, while trying to move forward one day at a time.
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\n\u201cThey\u2019re still in a state of disbelief,\u201d says retired Evangelical Covenant Church Pastor, Jim Swanson, whose house was struck by the tornado. \u201cWe\u2019re all wondering what day it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tornado that struck this community was one of three that swept across Central Florida, causing at least $68 million in property loss \u2013 some 1,300 homes and buildings were damaged. President Bush has designated several counties as disaster areas eligible for millions of dollars in aid and loans.<\/p>\n
Residents spend the days meeting with insurance adjustors and contractors while living amid the chaos left in the houses. Neighbors are literally helping one another to pick up the pieces. Those with garages are storing items for families whose homes have been damaged or destroyed.<\/p>\n
Swanson\u2019s home suffered roof and other damage, but he says his family was more fortunate than others in the neighborhood, whose houses were destroyed. The storm picked up a neighbor\u2019s pickup truck and deposited it between two homes. A toolbox that had been bolted to the truck was found a quarter mile away.<\/p>\n
![\"Swanson](\"http:\/\/www.covchurch.org\/uploads\/Np\/Ac\/NpAcmpswCOUsSsuWGlylKA\/Swanson.jpg\")
Large dehumidifiers work constantly in the Swanson house to rid the building of moisture. \u201cIt\u2019s noisy in the house,\u201d Swanson says. Progress is being made slowly. \u201cWe can finally get to the kitchen,\u201d he adds. He hopes repairs to the damaged roof can begin sometime next week.<\/p>\n
But the days are taking their toll. \u201cI\u2019m just exhausted, but I can\u2019t sleep,\u201d says Jim\u2019s wife, Beverly. \u201cI just lie awake in bed. I was up until 2 a.m. this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
She tries to accept her situation. \u201cThe house is a mess. It just has to be that way,\u201d Beverly says. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing I can do; I just have to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beverly says struggling with accepting her difficulties doesn\u2019t compare to experiencing the pain of losing friends. The Swansons attended Community Covenant Church in DeLand with Michael and Melinda Sluss, who were killed in the storm.<\/p>\n
Tragedies always lead to questions, but the answers don\u2019t come easy. \u201cYou\u2019re not sure why or what lessons you are supposed to learn,\u201d Beverly says.<\/p>\n
Still, Beverly is holding onto her faith, saying, \u201cI\u2019ve been a believer all my life – there\u2019s no reason to stop now.\u201d She recalls that the last song sung during Sunday\u2019s worship service was the contemporary, \u201cHow Great is Our God,\u201d adding, \u201cIt\u2019s been running through my mind and it won\u2019t quit.\u201d<\/p>\n