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One year after Sarasota tornado, have lessons been learned?

SIESTA KEY, Fla. - A year ago, a tornado packing 132 miles per hour winds touched down in Sarasota County in the middle of the night. Another tornado in west Manatee County killed two and injured four children.

"The dog was terrified,” said Richard Krepps. He remembers the sound that woke him out of a deep sleep a year ago from his home at the Excelsior condominium complex here.

“Worst sound I heard in my life. My first thought it was either that an airplane crashed into the building or it was a tornado,” said Krepps.

The tornado damaged 64 units in two buidlings at the Exelsior, uprooted 50 trees, ripped out 60 air conditioning units and after leaving $4 million in damage traveled across the intercoastal. The owner of a home on Baywinds Lane was trapped on the second floor when the roof collapsed. Firefighters got her out, but the home had to be demolished.

“There’s a real collection of destruction,” said Krepps as he scrolled through photos on his phone of the damage.

The EF2 storm's 132 mph winds peeled most of the roof off the Exelsior, exposing living rooms and in Richard’s case his attic.

He wasn’t ready for what came next: the rebuilding.

“I was out of my apartment from Jan. 17 until Oct. 23," said Krepps.

He also moved nine times in the first four months. The cost to rebuild was $30,000 with insurance.

But this tragedy has a silver lining. More than 200 windows and glass doors have been replaced with hurricane proof glass and the Exelcior’s homeowners association has an emergency plan that now includes tornados.

“We had a plan for fire evacuations, flooding but never for tornados. I hope to share with other condo associations as well - lessons learned the hard way,” said Dan Watnem, general manager of the Exelcior.

Richard says, “It definitely traumatized me. I certainly don’t want to go through it again. Once in a lifetime is enough.”

Richard now sleeps with his weather radio in his bedroom and makes sure his phone is always charged.

There's still work going on at the condominium complex, such as minor repairs to railings and doors.

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