It wasn't fireworks but a Merrick County family says they were rocked by what felt like an explosion as a tornado ripped through their farm.

“It's an eerie, scary, deep groan feeling.”

Alvin Kowalski struggles to put into words what happened to his home and farm.

After the fireworks had died down for the evening, the Kowalskis heard the tornado alert and what felt like a blast.

“A lot of pressure in the house, all the windows blew out, made it downstairs and rode it out,” Alvin said.

He was home with his wife, saying she heard the alert on her phone and they rounded up their three kids under the age of seven.

Alvin farms with his brother Arron on ground that's been in the family more than a century including a dairy barn that’s a local landmark.

“My great grandfather built it in 1910, 1912. 110 year old barn got swept away, laid low last night,” Arron said.

Arron's place just down the road is fine. He says if the storm was 100 yards in either way his brother and family would have a home.

“You just feel awful because you can't protect them like you want to but they have a basement and got there in time,” said Arron.

Utility linemen and the insurance company were quick to arrive along with fellow farmers bringing equipment and offers of a place to stay.

“Friends and neighbors are showing up, now it's clean up,” said Arron, who ran for Congress a few years back.

Most of the equipment they'll need for harvest wasn't on site and crops are looking good. But there's a lot of equipment they'll have to go through before spring rolls around again.

“And a lot of equipment that should be inside is outside right now,” Arron said.

When farmers in Kansas needed hay after wildfires they pitched in. Now they're on the receiving end.

“Be kind to your neighbor because we'll have to pass this along at some point,” said Arron.