Homewood Rallies for James Hart Teacher Who Lost Home in Tornado

The Homewood community is stepping up for a beloved eighth grade teacher at James Hart School, after his home was severely damaged in the June 22 tornado that tore through Coal City.

Ric Druse and his family survived by hiding in the home’s crawl space, as the twister lifted their home off the ground above them.

“It shifted the house off the foundation about seven feet,” Druse told Chicago Tribune.

The shift blocked Druse and his family’s clear exit out of the crawlspace. First responders found them and shined a light into the space to illuminate their exit.

“Then we crawled out one-by-one,” Druse said. His wife and oldest son were taken to the hospital as precaution, but the family was otherwise unharmed.

Druse has since learned that his home will have to be torn down and completely rebuilt due to the damage it sustained. The community has started an online fundraising effort to help the family.