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She and partner Brian Prokop live on her father’s land outside Kennard, Nebraska, between Bennington and Blair. A tornado at F5 strength churned through, demolishing both houses on the property as well as several outbuildings and vehicles.

Their 3-year-old calico-Bengal mix, survived the storm but then escaped from the garage at Bequette’s mom’s house in Millard, where the family had taken refuge.

“Our dog Odin was miserable. We were heartbroken because we lost our cat,� Bequette said. “It doesn’t stop hurting, the not knowing.�

On National Cat Day, Oct. 29, about six months after the storm, on what Bequette called a “whim, wing and a prayer,� she decided to update the post about her baby on the Lost Pets of Omaha Area page on Facebook. She also shared a picture of their new kitty, a lookalike named Maverick.

Within 24 hours, Bequette got a call. Cody and Maya Greywood had found what they thought was her cat as they walked into their apartment complex at Evergreen Terrace, near 108th and Q streets, less than a quarter mile from where she was lost. She wound around their legs, seeking attention.

They fed the cat and then started looking at lost pet pages on Facebook.

“The day prior she (Bequette) had just posted about it. She was getting worried because it was getting colder out. We’re really big cat people, so I totally understand,� Maya Greywood said. “As soon as I saw (the post), I jumped out of my seat. ‘That’s the same cat.’ It was so crazy. We called her immediately: ‘We’re pretty sure we have your cat.�

Bequette still can’t believe it. The cat is back, snoozing on her blanket, and her return has provided a moment of joy in what has been a challenging journey since April.

Although the family is immensely grateful for all of the help they’ve received from the community, life has been far from easy.

They’ve been living in a fifth-wheel travel trailer to protect the property, after her father, Thomas Bequette, arrived home one day to find several people looting the remains of his house and outbuildings.

“People were flying drones over the property to see what we had left,� Bequette said.

They recently purchased another used trailer better suited for winter. Habitat for Humanity has offered to put skirting around it to insulate the underbelly.

After volunteer help dried up, they spent months cleaning the property and just finished last week. There are still piles everywhere, and the farmers who lease their land couldn’t harvest their crops because of the debris.

Her father’s house was demolished last week. They’re ecstatic because that means construction can now begin and by next spring they could be living in new homes.

“We’re called the long-termers,� Bequette said, because of the extent of the cleanup. “There are several others in Washington County. Some haven’t started to rebuild. Some haven’t started demo.�

Expenses seem to arrive at every turn.

Working with their insurance company has been a nightmare, they said, and they’ve hired a public adjuster to maximize the compensation of their policy. They have spreadsheet pages listing what they’ve lost.

“Financially being stressed. Insurance not paying out,� Prokop said. “That’s the stressful part. Being down to one vehicle, all that jazz. You do what you have to do to get by.�

Bequette lost the SUV she had used to run her cleaning business, which she loved. Since the tornado, she’s had to cut back on customers to do cleanup. Now that it’s getting colder, Prokop uses the car they have left instead of his motorcycle to get to his job.

They refuse to give into despair, trying to focus on the future ahead.

That SUV is still out in the pasture, however, crunched to more the size of a Volkswagen. Bequette said it’s a reminder of all they lost in those few minutes of the storm but also all they’ve gained.

“You know how bad it was and how bad it got,� Bequette said. “You’d never guess an SUV is just a reminder to stay grateful for everything we found. To get our cat back? It restored my faith in humanity.�