JOHNSON COUNTY — Paula and Craig Boas fell in love with the mature trees and serenity of the Golden Grove subdivision in Johnson County.
"Yes the charm of golden grove. Its just that neighborhood - that the houses are older," Paula Boas said. "We loved this property, that's why we moved here."
The Boas peace and tranquility was disrupted during a family get together on Sunday when tornado sirens sounded.
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"Grandma immediately went to the bathroom and we were standing at the back door. And this tree line is huge. I mean it's so high and we saw debris like spinning and it literally looked like full trees and giant pieces of lumber," Paula said.
Nine adults piled into their only inner room without windows, a small half bath. After about 30 seconds, the storm was over.
"I could see out the window and out the front and it was maybe about 20 seconds, maybe 30, just mass chaos and then it stopped," said Craig.
The Boas said their first shock after the storm was the sunshine. They walked out the door and immediately saw sunlight, which was their first indication something wasn’t right on their wooded and shady property.
"We walked out of this door and its always really shady and the sunlight was just shining in," Paula said.
The Boas beloved trees were gone.
"They are hundreds of years old. Their root structures are taller than we are when standing next to them," said Paula. "We loved this property and its gone."
As they emerged from their tiny bathroom, Paula said she looked at her 93-year-old grandmother, who just rebuilt her own home after Hurricane Ian.
"She came out and we were just crying and we looked around and we were all OK and she said give me a broom," Paula said. " And she got to work."
Its still emotional for the Boas family as they continue cleanup today.
"Our neighbors are OK, they lost the top of their house," said Paula.
A quick moment in time changed many lives in the Center Grove community, a moment they say they won't soon forget.
"It's just something that will never, i will never forget that," Paula said.
