WATERLOO, Neb. (WOWT) – Friday's tornado brought tragedy to Victoria Fullhart and her husband, Justin. In November, they moved to Waterloo and started a horse business on land owned by Brandon Johnson of Jamico Construction.
Fullhart was days away from an open house for her equine therapy business when a storm broke out. Her first instinct was to save the horses on her property, even if she was putting herself at risk in the process.
“[I] Things went pretty well and I was in a daze for a while. When I came back, yes, I saw the devastation and I saw death,” she said.
tornado recovery
How to help and find help
Here's how you can help people in Nebraska and Iowa who are recovering from the tornadoes that hit Friday, April 26th.
Her mare Onyx was found dead. Fullhart got Onyx when she was 13 years old and kept her for 18 years.
“Not many horses can be your friend, your partner, your champion, your business partner, your therapist,” Fullhart said.
Equine therapy was a dream she and her friends wanted to realize. Onyx is gone now, but she has no intention of letting it go.
“There would never have been enough time with her. But I'm so glad she started this dream, and I'm so happy for her, for myself, and for the community. I will do everything I can to develop it.”
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Fullhart said she and her husband are able to move forward because of community cleanup efforts. After the demolition, we will start anew.
“We're not completely excited yet, but it's fertile soil that provides an opportunity for flowering, and we're going to take care of it and water the grass,” she said.
The Fullharts said they plan to eventually build a small building where they can host open houses. They said they hope it will happen this summer, thanks to community donations.
tornado cleanup
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