Tornado levels family’s brand new house: “Most terrifying thing I’ve experienced”

Violent storms spawned destructive tornadoes over the weekend, leveling homes and sending trees and power lines flying through the air. There were at least 22 tornado reports across five states from Kansas to Minnesota.

In Howard County, Nebraska, Christina Parden and her daughter Graci Boersen took shelter in their basement. It’s the only part of their newly built home that now remains.

“I looked out my kitchen window and I was watching the clouds and it just dropped down,” Parden said, describing the twister.

“(It) was the most terrifying thing I’ve experienced in my life,” Boersen said.

The family had moved in just two weeks ago after designing and building the home.

In the aftermath of the storm, volunteers came to help the family salvage what they could.

“I know God is going to send help when we’re in trouble,” Pardon said. “He’s going to send help in one way or another,”

There’s a threat of more severe storms across the nation’s midsection on Monday. The same weather system is also fueling high winds across the Great Plains and causing wildfires to rapidly spread.

The Sharpe Fire in southeastern Colorado has burned more than 16,000 acres and triggered evacuations on Sunday. In northern Minnesota, several wildfires continue to burn, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency.