When a tornado destroyed Kokomo, IN, Postmaster Dennis Sweeney’s home last week, he knew what he had to do — keep the Post Office running.
Sweeney left work when he heard his house was hit. His wife was at her job, although his dog was home.
“My first reaction when I saw the house was to drop to my knees,” Sweeney said. “It was a direct hit, and the house was a shambles.”
After learning his dog, Bella, had survived, Sweeney returned to work. The Post Office had no power.
“We were lucky because most of our operations were on the dock where we still had light, so we were able to get the last of the mail out on the truck by 7:30 p.m.,” Sweeney said.
The 31-year USPS veteran said he couldn’t have done it without his team.
“Many of my employees also had severe damage to their homes, but they all came to work and pitched in. I was never as proud of my team as I was that night,” Sweeney said.
Despite his loss, Sweeney believes it could have been worse.
“We had no fatalities, and I can rebuild my home,” he said.