ANDOVER, KS (KCTV) — The Andover community is picking up what the tornado left behind and families are looking to find a way forward.

Zack Dinicola’s home was one of nearly 1,000 damaged structures from Friday night’s tornado.

A detour on the way home kept his family safe.

“I was actually complaining that my wife made me drive all the way to the west side,” he said. “I was like, ‘man, I don’t want to drive all the way out there.’ Thankfully, we did. ..otherwise we would have been here.”

The tornado tore the roof off the room where Dinicola’s 2-year-old and 2-week old sleep.

Now, they’re figuring out what’s next.

“Something like this is a complete loss, right? I don’t think I’ve really still processed it yet. It takes time to get through things like this.”

While the storm may have packed power, there was something more powerful: Friends, neighbors and even strangers coming together.

Mitch Sperry says he still remembers the Andover tornado of 1991.

It was important for him to do his part again decades later.

“Being a resident of Andover and being around for the Andover tornado and all that stuff, we helped with that one too,” he said. “My aunt was in that one. My heart’s kind of close to Andover so the minute I got the opportunity to come out and help, I jumped at it.”

Copyright 2022 KCTV. All rights reserved.