KSN News Extra: Chapman one year later

Last Update: 6/11 12:26 pm

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CHAPMAN, Kansas – It’s hard to believe that Thursday marks the first anniversary of the deadly Chapman tornado. It was the first twister to ever hit the tiny Dickinson County town. But the town spent the last year putting its best efforts toward rebuilding.

A police cruiser camera captured the storm pounding Chapman. Hidden in the rain, a monster E-F3 tornado carrying winds of 136 mph came swooping through. The officer was able to make it back to the station to take cover -- and not a moment too soon.

Radar shown in a DVD about the rebuilding of Chapman shows the bullseye the town was wearing that night. But the warnings were not enough to save 21-year-old Crystal Bishop, the lone fatality.

Several other people were injured. All the schools were destroyed as were three churches. And 180 homes were either damaged or gone.

"I knew there was a storm coming,” said Chapman resident Edna Liccardi.

Liccardi’s house of 40 years was the first to go. She had always been told a tornado sounds like a train, but never having experienced one and living so close to railroad tracks, she thought what she was hearing that night was a locomotive.

"I thought it was funny, the train wasn't whistling,” she said.

The next thing Edna knew – she was on the ground. When the storm passed she looked up.

"I seen trees up above going back and fourth,” she said. “That's when I first knew the house was gone. So I thought I could get up my stair steps. The stair steps were gone. I had no way of getting out."

A neighbor would rescue her.

Despite the shock of the town’s first tornado, it wasn’t long at all before residents banded together.

"The people were very determined the night of the tornado,” said City Attorney Doug Thompson. “They were anxious to get started on the recovery to try and put their lives back together, and they've continued to do so."

The town of Irish descent hasn’t relied on luck – just hard work to get things back to the way they were and even better. Before long, Chapman will have all new schools thanks to a bond issue passed by residents and money from the federal government. Ever since the tornado, trailers have served as classrooms. The town has only seen a slight decrease in its population.

"Many of the homes have been re-built,” Thompson said.

Last November, crews from the popular show Extreme Makeover Home Edition came to Chapman. Helped by thousands of volunteers from across the state, they built a beautiful home and storm shelter in Shamrock Park – the center of town. And although the show grabbed all the headlines, it’s really people like Jon and Kay Londeen who’ve played the most significant role in getting Chapman back on its feet.

They have run a hardware store for more than 40 years. The couple returned to find their home and funeral home destroyed and the hardware store damaged. But it wasn’t long before the store was open for business.

"Kind of looked at everything and went to work,” said John Londeen. “We got this place open so we could help people out. They were needing all kinds of supplies. That's what we're here for."

Today, the hardware store is busier than ever. And Edna Liccardi too has moved on.

Despite losing a beloved flower garden at her old home, Edna has new flowers to show off at her new home.

"I always thought roses were the prettiest, but I love any flower,” she said.

Meanwhile, the next few days will be very busy ones for Chapman residents. Two events will be held in Shamrock Park. On Thursday night from 10 to 10:30, residents will gather for a candlelight vigil marking the exact time one year ago that the tornado struck. Then on Saturday a day of recovery celebration will be held thanking all the people, agencies and organizations that have made the re-building effort possible.

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