Elk City Woman Remembers Being Rescued Following Tornado

Nearly one year later, a lot of rebuilding is happening in Elk City. Except for one woman who was rescued from her destroyed home after the tornado came through the city.

"I just can't even, hardly picture it," said Karen Snyder.

Snyder looks out over what used to be her neighborhood in Elk City of more than 20 years. All the homes around her, including her own, are reduced to concrete slabs.

"This is it. This was the garage," she said as she stands in what used to be her home.

As she walks through the empty rooms, she remembers when an EF2 tornado nearly took more than her house.

"I went to the safe room when it sounded like it was getting close," she said. "I walked in to the bathroom, the front bathroom, shut the door and that was it, it hit."

Her neighborhood took a direct hit - and leveled her home.

"First bathroom was here, this is where I was trapped," she said, pointing to an area on the slab where she took shelter. "I couldn't move there wasn't room in there to move anyway and nobody could get in there."

Bob Mills SkyNews9 flew overhead as emergency responders worked to free her from the rubble. Finally they got her out and carried her to safety.

"I just felt blessed and still do to this day that I made it out alive," she said.

Karen's home was among more than 60 homes and businesses damaged or destroyed in the storm. And now nearly one year later - many are rebuilding.

"It was devastating," said David Dyson, who lives in the Country Club housing addition.

Dyson lost his home and like many of his neighbors is building from scratch.

"It's starting to look more like a neighborhood again," Dyson said. "Western Oklahoma folks are resilient and we're going to overcome this thing and we're going to be better for it."

Snyder tells us she's decided to move into an apartment and not go through rebuilding.