“Everybody’s safe, and things can be replaced. That’s what’s important to us.”

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Those words, which Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said during a news conference Friday, Apr. 10, take on extra meaning coming from VanVickle, whose own home was destroyed, according to the Chicago Tribune, after a tornado tore through the town of Fairdale, Ill., Thursday evening,

VanVickle’s home was one of at least 20 leveled by the storm. Some accounts put that number closer to 30. The tornado was one of a pair generated by a supercell, according to weather.com senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen. 

(MORE: Residents Still Missing | Full Updates of the Severe Weather Outbreak)

Ali and Zechariah VanVickle, the sheriff’s teenage children, took to social media to tell people they were unharmed. “I’m so sorry to hear about your house! I hope all is good!” one friend tweeted to Ali. “Thank you so much. Just glad no one got hurt,” she responded.

The pair also talked about the family dog. “She was up in my room and made it. She wouldn’t leave what’s left of my room,” Ali wrote. “My grandparents got her.”

During the early morning hours, Ali and Zech made light of what was undoubtedly a tense situation. “Where’s our fridge?” one wrote. “Update: Our fridge is in the basement,” the other tweeted back.

The areas affected by yesterday’s storm are small towns. Fairdale is a community of fewer than 200. Rochelle, with almost 9,500 people, is bigger but still tight-knit. Social media seemed to play a big role for people needing to express their shock and sorrow. A #PrayForRochelle hashtag started pretty quickly, populated with a plethora of tweets like this one: “It truly amazes me to see how much our small town can come together.”

Given that the storm damaged more than 70 local buildings, the community will be important to restoring the towns and homes. “We can rebuild,” VanVickle said. “We built once. We can rebuild.”