A family photo from a Kentucky home was found more than 150 miles away in Indiana after deadly tornadoes swept debris in the area.
At first, Posten thought someone had left a message on her windshield, but as she got closer, she realized it was a photo. This black and white photo dated 1942 shows a woman in a striped dress holding a baby in her lap.
Violent storms raged across parts of the central and southern United States Friday night through Saturday, ravaging towns and neighborhoods in their path. Officials say there could be as many as 80 deaths in some states, with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear saying more than 70 are expected to die in his state alone.
The back of the photo has a handwritten name and a date. “Looks like it reads ‘Gertie Swatzell and JD Swatzell, 1942′” Posten wrote in her Facebook post.
Posten told CNN she was monitoring hurricane activity in her area and immediately thought the photo might be debris from hurricane damage in Kentucky. She said she couldn’t see any other debris near her home. “No iron, no shingles, nothing like it,” she said, adding, “It’s quite remarkable.”
Posten said she posted the photo on her social media accounts in hopes of finding its owner.
On Facebook, Posten was able to connect with Cole Swatzell from Dawson Springs, Kentucky, who said the photo belonged to his family.
Dawson Springs is more than 150 miles southwest of New Albany.
Swatzell wrote in the comments section of Posten’s Facebook post: “Can’t think this has gone this far, these are my dad’s grandparents.
Swatzell told CNN his family is trying to determine which household the photo came from, and said his family plans to meet with Posten over the weekend to get the photo back.
“(Social media is) a really powerful information tool and when it’s at its best, it’s brilliant and I’m grateful that when we use it for things like this, it’s powerful. connects us,” Posten said. “It has the power to accomplish the near-impossible.”
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