Oh dear, Neesie. I am so sorry about the tornado damage. But I have to warn you about these snapping turtles. They are very aggressive on land. Their necks can stretch a lot further than you'd suspect, and they can strike as quickly as a snake. Once they latch on, they are very hard to get off.

Here is some info. There is also a way to catch, if necessary at the same link, listed below.

"Do be wary if the Turtle you are trying to help is a Snapping Turtle. Although Snapping Turtles have no teeth, they do have a razor-sharp bill. Imagine if you took a pair of scissors and carefully folded the blades in a "U" shape; that is the Snapping Turtles bill. The strength of their jaws and neck is immense, and an adult Snapping Turtle is capable of inflicting very serious damage. In addition to the potential danger of the Snapping Turtles jaws and incredible strength, a person trying to help the Snapping Turtle must know that the TurtleÂs neck is L-O-N-G, equal to the length of the TurtleÂs entire shell. So, keep your fingers, legs, feet, arms, and other bits of anatomy, out of reach of the Snapping TurtleÂs mouth. Remember, keep yourself a distance that is twice as long as the Turtle is. For example, if the Turtle is five inches long, stay back at least 10 inches, etc. Also, do not be fooled by the steady, plodding gate, and seemingly slow demeanor of this Turtle. This Turtle can move with lightening speed if provoked."

Here is a link that might be useful: snapping turtles

Oh my! Neesie-- Please keep us posted with the positive outcome (notice the positive vibes being sent your way). I hope you can have peace and quiet!!

oh i'm so sorry to hear that! please let us know that ds and the turtle make it out alive as well!!!

I am so sorry to hear about the tornado. My thoughts and prayers are with you, your family and the others in your area.

So sorry for your losses and your neighbor's. You're right -- we can repair the houses, but I can't imagine losing a child at any age, but especially such a young one.

I hope your son got the turtle without too much grief for either of them.

I hardly know what to say except that I'm sure everyone on this forum is with you in spirit. Take a little comfort from that and know that you can come here any time to "talk". And from what I've seen here over many months of lurking and a few of posting, sharing the details of one's life--good and bad--with this very compassionate group of people is never really considered off topic.

Oh Neesie, I'm so sorry about your loss and that of your townspeople. My heart goes out to all of you. Hope all goes well with the snapping turtle. They're not very nice playpals!
Lynn