PARKER, Colo. — Seven months after multiple tornadoes tore through Adams and Elbert counties, many families are still repairing their homes and lives, and Denver7 Gives viewers are stepping up to help.
On May 18, four tornadoes tore through Adams and Elbert counties, damaging or destroying dozens of homes.
For Michael and Ines Moore of Parker’s Elkhorn Ranch, that day changed everything.
“This is our forever home — our dream home,” Ines said. “People like us could only dream of this growing up.”
Michael Moore, a U.S. Army veteran and a retired federal agent now working in the local school system, bought their Parker home in 2015. For nearly a decade, the family built the life they’d always imagined.
But when the tornadoes hit, they were miles away at a graduation party. A neighbor called to say their home had been hit.
“It still brings a lot of emotion,” Ines said. “It’s been a long six months being out of our home.”
Windows were blown out. Siding ripped off. Fences flattened. Inside, furniture was destroyed, and debris was everywhere. The total damage climbed to $150,000. Their insurance covered less than half.
Michael Moore said they had to make tough choices, focusing repairs on the main house so they could eventually move back in.
“We decided what we could fix now, and what we would just have to live with,” he said.
That included their battered garage doors — punctured and dented by flying debris — and patio furniture that vanished in the storm.
Michael Moore patched the garage doors himself, knowing it might be years before they could afford to replace them.
“Every time I walked out there, I saw the damage — and it brought back all the memories,” he said.
Thanks to donations from generous Denver7 Gives viewers — and volunteers from Don’s Garage Doors — the Moores got a surprise.
Don's Garage Doors offered to replace the damaged panels, paint them, and erase that constant reminder of the storm.
“If we can be someone that lifts everybody up, that’s huge,” said Seth Munstock of Don’s Garage Doors.
Denver7 Gives also replaced the family’s missing patio furniture. “It brings back our memories,” Ines said. “It gives us more to look forward to. That’s the bigger picture.”
The Moores are still finishing repairs and hope to move back into their home by Christmas.
But thanks to the generosity of strangers, some of the pieces have already fallen back into place.
"It's been blessing after blessing after blessing," said Ines Moore. "I'm just so grateful and appreciative for you guys reaching out to make it happen. It's a humbling experience. It changes you. It changes you."
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