Wedding photos travel 100 miles after devastating storm levels Missouri couple’s home

A tornado that destroyed a Missouri couple’s home ripped apart nearly everything in its path as it tore through the area with 138-mph winds.

And within that wind during the March 14 storm, wedding photos of Darby Russom and her bridesmaids went flying.

They didn’t stop until they landed in Brazeau, roughly 100 miles away from Russom’s hometown near Poplar Bluff.

“Does anyone know some of these beautiful ladies?” Hemman Winery asked on Facebook. “We found this in our yard after the storms last night.”

Within a couple of hours of making her post, Bonnie Hemman said someone commented indicating they knew one of the women in the photos, KFVS reported. That led to a “domino effect” and Hemman finding Russom.

Hemman said she would be mailing the photos back to Russom.

“I just think that God placed it here because he knew I could find the person that it goes to,” Hemman told KFVS.

Russom said in a Facebook post her home, which was under renovation, was a total loss. Its roof was taken off, a fallen tree cracked walls and busted windows and rain fell throughout the home.

In addition to the photos found in Brazeau, others were found in Marble Hill, about 55 miles away, CNN reported. Those, too, were in the process of being returned.

“We’ve never expected so many people to be reaching out, trying to help,” Russom told CNN. “We’re just very grateful.”

Poplar Bluff is about a 150-mile drive south from St. Louis.

This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Wedding photos travel 100 miles after devastating storm levels Missouri couple’s home."