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Keepsakes found scattered after Indiana storms

Families cleaning up after the storms say they've been moved by the generosity of others.

SULLIVAN, Ind. — Many communities are still cleaning up the damage from the 22 tornadoes that hit Indiana last Friday night, according to WTWO

In the devastation, neighbors have come together. We're seeing signs of hope in the debris in Sullivan.

Bill Pirtle and many of his family members were out sorting through his brother's belongings, salvaging what they could among the rubble. 

Scattered around was a large collection of baseball cards that he said his brother has been collecting for more than 50 years. Pirtle said some of those cards were pretty valuable. 

"He's been collecting them since he was 12 years old and the house over here, it was completely full," Bill said.

Pirtle's brother has been diagnosed with ALS and is currently in hospice care. He said it was difficult telling his brother about what had happened. 

"We've been trying to save all of his stuff we can," said Bill. "It just breaks my heart. I hate to even talk to him about it."

Just a few doors up the road, an American flag was flying over what's left of Val Reed's home. She shared the story of riding out the storm in her basement.

"I didn't hear a freight train sound, like everybody says," she said. "It was more of a huge monster growling. It was like a moaning, groaning, growling. Things breaking. You could hear glass. I heard water running. And then, just as soon as it hit, it was gone and everything got quiet." 

Reed's family and volunteers worked to locate anything salvageable from their property. While speaking with Reed, her son brought over a hospital bracelet. She recalled it was the bracelet from when her daughter was born. 

There was also a folder for church with a cash donation. She couldn't help but smile. Then her husband approached with news. 

"A gentleman from down the street, he saw me on top of this pile that used to be a house," Joseph Reed said. "He said he prayed to the Lord to show him what he could do for somebody. He said he wants to put a building up, totally for nothing." 

On Tuesday, a new garage was going up in place of the Reeds' old garage, a gesture of kindness after a devastating storm. It's a place they could store their belongings, which are important, but far from the first thing mentioned in terms of gratitude.

"The Lord helped us," Joseph said. "And he keeps helping."

"You know, this material stuff, you can re-do that, but the lives are what was most important in all this. We're thankful for that," said Bill Pirtle.

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