Family’s memorial thrives after Cape Coral tornadoes

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CAPE CORAL, Fla. – A couple rebuilt a memorial for their daughter Wednesday after it was knocked over by strong winds from an EF2 tornado last week.

The memorial, a tree in full bloom, put up a good fight against the forces of nature, said parents Judy and Dave McWhinnie.

It survived two tornadoes that – only days apart – hit Cape Coral.

“When the tornado came, it knocked it right over,” McWhinnie said. “My brother-in-law came over with Dave and they put it up. Then we had that second storm and that knocked it over again and I thought ‘Oh my gosh! She is a fighter. Look, it’s still going.”

The tree, adorned in purple flowers, is a symbol of their daughter Nicole. Her photo sits under the shade of the tree in the backyard of the couple’s home on Southwest 20th Avenue.

Judy said she planted the tree to feel close to her daughter.

“The tree we built — had put in because my daughter passed away,” she said, beginning to choke up. “I needed a place to talk to her everyday.”

On Wednesday, the McWhinnies put the tree back up for a second time — this time reinforcing it. Judy said the planted tribute to her daughter should be better prepared to weather a storm.

“Today we decided to build a tripod and hoping we have no more tornados so my tree can still be here to come out here and still talk to her,” Judy said.

Much of Cape Coral is regrouping, fixing and securing items salvaged from the storm. Public works crews have begun work removing tree limbs and debris from the area’s canals and Dave McWhinnie took notice.

“We were just watching these guys here,” he said. “They did a phenomenal job cleaning that tree up.”

Canal clean-up efforts will take a couple more weeks to complete, but experts said 90 percent of the tornadoes debris is gone.

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