Displaced Coralville family describes ‘panicking’ during tornado

CORALVILLE, Iowa (KCRG) – Initially of final week, 20-year-old Joslin Gembo realized the college the place he’s a freshman, Iowa Wesleyan, was closing. By the tip of the week, he was homeless.

On March 31, a number of tornadoes ripped by Japanese Iowa. One among them destroyed the Coralville dwelling the place Gembo lives along with his dad and mom and 4 siblings.

“You possibly can simply hear issues falling. We was—our household was panicking,” Gembo mentioned. “You possibly can simply see a variety of issues falling, fridge, like upper-layer stuff which was crashing down. We’re like, we thought, ‘It’s over.’”

Gembo mentioned he and his household hid within the basement.

“After the twister hit, we heard somebody knocking, yelling ‘Assist, assist, is anybody alive in the home?’” Gembo added.

Everybody within the seven-person household was unharmed, however now they’re going through the monumental process of rebuilding the life they’ve labored so arduous to create.

The Gembos moved to the US virtually six years in the past now. Round 2010, they left their dwelling nation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and went to South Africa. Joslin’s father, Aaron Gembo, mentioned in 2017 they had been chosen within the U.S. visa lottery.

“To suppose, , you’ve given up every part. You’ve left behind household in your native nation and are available to a special place to attempt to create a greater life in your youngsters and provides them extra alternatives. After which to have this occur, is admittedly simply unthinkable,” Tiffany Roiseland, an English Language Studying trainer at Liberty Excessive College, mentioned. She taught Joslin and is presently instructing his youthful brother, Flori.

Roiseland, and others who know the household, helps them with non permanent housing, a GoFundMe, and even navigating the paperwork that goes together with catastrophe aid.

“They’re only a nice household and nice youngsters. We wish to do what we are able to to assist,” Roiseland mentioned.

Though the Gembos misplaced just about every part within the storm, they’re crammed with gratitude. Of their dialog with KCRG-TV9 on Saturday, they thanked each particular person they credited with serving to them by his time—everybody from the academics at their totally different colleges to the supervisor at Walmart the place Tantine, Joslin’s mom, works.

Joslin translated for his father: ”God protected me and my household. I’m grateful for that.”

The GoFundMe for the household is right here.

Copyright 2023 KCRG. All rights reserved.