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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WKRN) — There’s a strong sense of hope that one day things will return to normal in Bowling Green. On Dec. 11, 2021, an EF-3 tornado slammed across the city and took 17 lives with it.

Dozens of homes were destroyed, and even after a year, many are still not rebuilt.

“Either people can’t afford to rebuild or they have moved,” Tabitha Trowbridge said.

Trowbridge just moved back into her home near Creekwood Avenue. A year ago, the storm severely damaged her roof and almost lifted her home off its foundation.

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Creekwood Avenue was one of the hardest hit areas in the city. The tornado directly hit Kim Brand as he was hunkering down in his garage.

“I was knocked out and when I came back to, I saw my wife called me over and over,” Brand recalled. “My roof, windows and car had to be repaired.”

Many rebuilt apartments now have new residents who did not experience the storm. The people who did rebuild consider themselves very fortunate.