Classic Cars, Lifelong Labor Damaged By Inola Tornado

One Inola family says Saturday's storm stole a piece of their heart and soul.

Their home is one of the hardest hit here in Inola.

The house has extensive roof damage and the home is filled with rain water.

But the garage with the five cars--is completely wiped out.

"After it hit, there was a big lightning strike and we could see it, that the shop was gone,” Thelma Johnson said.

The building contained five cars.

Two family cars and three of Thelma's husband's prized classic cars, all fully restored.

“It's priceless to him."

The cars had all been lifelong dreams.

He'd even had a state of the art shop built to house them.

The orange '69 Roadrunner had been a friend's.

The 1940s maroon Ford was a rare find.

And the 1930s truck was a family heirloom.

All destroyed.

"I didn't even want him to come out and see.. because.." she said as she trailed off nearly in tears.

The cars are a labor of love she says her husband threw himself into for the last five years after retiring.

A five-year project -- gone in less than a minute.

A loss she says she's still trying to wrap her mind around.

As Thelma and her family try to make sense of it all, she says there's still a silver lining.

"We're all alive, we're all alive and not hurt," Thelma said. "That's about all I can say."

Right now the family say's they still can't clean up, because they're waiting on insurance adjusters, they just don't know when they'll get here.