You never know when the fallout from a traumatic experience will hit. It could be minutes, hours, even days. For many in the Indian Lake community, that traumatic experience was the March 14, 2024, tornado that cut a half-mile-wide path of destruction across the southern part of the lake, unleashing most of its fury on Lakeview and Russells Point. 

On that day, Elaine Fagan-Moore had been mayor of Lakeview for 73 days. Though it caused severe damage to her property, it wasn’t bad enough for her to have to move out. She was, in that respect, relieved. It gave her more freedom to help others. 

But then, two days later — that Saturday morning — the terror, the trauma, the loss truly set in. 

She had gone to the backyard to clean up and found pieces of her son’s outdoor art scattered across the grass. 

“I was so angry,” Elaine admits, “I picked up that piece and threw it.” 

Then she saw a fireman coming up the walking path toward her. He wore the requisite fire clothes and a helmet but had extremely long hair. “In that moment,” she said, “he looked like Jesus.” 

He came to the edge of the yard and stopped. 

“Do you live here?”