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Family Of 11 Picks Up The Pieces After Deadly Storm

By Holly Wagner, WCCO-TV

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Workers are clearing away debris, as quickly as they can from areas ripped apart by Sunday's tornado.

At least one person is dead and more than 100 homes are damaged or destroyed in North Minneapolis. The city is working to find shelter -- long term -- for those who have nowhere else to stay.

Demetria Fuller lost most of what she owned in the tornado.

"This was devastating. I've never seen anything like this before in my life. I've seen it on TV all the time and to actually be living it, this doesn't even look like North Minneapolis," she said. "I'm shocked."

Part of Fuller's roof was torn off, the windows were blown out and inside the place is covered in insulation and broken glass.

"It could've been much, much worse so I'm so grateful," she said.

Grateful, mostly, that everyone is safe.

"My baby was in that room about to be sucked out when my husband ran in and grabbed her," she said.

Her baby is doing just fine and her husband is out trying to find them a new place to live. They have 11 children -- ages 1 through 21. Ten of them, live at home.

"It's been the worst thing to ever happen to us," her daughter said.

She and her other siblings spent the morning salvaging what they could and then carted everything across the street to a three-bedroom home their landlord is letting them use temporarily.

"My baby, she only has her diapers, that's it," Fuller said. "We're just taking it step-by-step. We got some peanut butter, we got some bread so we're just going to move on."

Even the glasses Fuller is wearing are broken. But she said it's all about keeping perspective. She said she feels it everytime she sees her children.

"I watched them sleep until like 5 a.m.," she said, "just watching them sleep, grateful that I can see them sleep."

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