DAVENPORT, Iowa — Tuesday marks one year since the tragic collapse at 324 Main St. in downtown Davenport. Shortly before 5 p.m., the west wall came crashing down, killing three men and altering the lives of many.
News 8 caught up with two previous residents who survived the collapse and lost all of their personal belongings. They reflect on the past year and how May 28, 2023, continues to impact them today.
Vincent McClain
Life for Vincent McClain and his dog Kodiak is calm these days, but rebuilding his life has been a long journey.
“She was with me through my addiction. She was with me after my addiction and getting sober and everything," he said.
McClain and Kodiak moved to the Quad Cities seven years ago. Kodiak was by his side when McClain could finally afford his own apartment at 324 Main St.
“You think everything is going to be okay, where your life is going to get better, and you're finally on the right track," McClain said.
Alongside his ragtag family of snakes, lizards and a cat, they were all ready to call Davenport home — but three weeks after moving into the apartment, the west wall at his new home came down.
"Now I just have a sense of turmoil...because I genuinely have to start from square one with nothing," he said.
McClain was separated from Kodiak after the collapse, the dog who had helped him get through the toughest times in life.
“To have her there, and to be having to beg people to bring her out of the building. It was heartbreaking knowing that they might not," he said.
Rebuilding their lives again has been another difficult journey. McClain said aid from the city and state hasn't been enough.
“The most they gave us...was six grand. That's it," McClain said. "In this economy, six grand doesn't go very far. Especially now when you have pets and expenses in a car and you need groceries and you're starting from scratch."
He had to start from scratch yet again, struggling for aid while on unemployment after recently losing his job. After all this time, coming back to downtown Davenport is tough.
“I had to sit out (in) my car for at least 20 minutes and just kind of look at the empty space and come to terms with the apartment that I had isn't there anymore," he said. Despite that, being tough is what Vincent and Kodiak are all about.
“Days like today when I can go out with my dog… those are small, happy moments that make it worth it to keep going.”
Linnea Hoover
Former WQAD Photojournalist Linnea Hoover lives more than 1,500 miles southwest of the Quad Cities in Phoenix, Arizona. Before moving, Linnea's hope for the future hit a life-threatening obstacle.
Hoover was planning on moving out of the building within 24 hours of the collapse, all of her belongings boxed up inside her apartment.
"Before the collapse actually happened, there were a lot of issues with water damage in the hallway," Hoover said. "Near where the mailroom was in the hallway, actually, right about where the collapse happened, there was a leak that was coming through the ceiling."
Hoover got out of the building just minutes after the collapse with just the clothes on her back, car keys, and cell phone.
"Oh my f***ing god," Hoover said in a panicking voice right after getting out of the building.
She says there are memories from that day she will never forget.
"I won't forget the people. I won't forget the people who were there in the aftermath, who were trying to make sure we got to safety," Hoover said. "I'll remember the look on my neighbors' faces, as we all kind of realized what was happening. I'll remember the sounds, like the sound of running water coming out of the building."
"I prefer being outside now. I feel uncomfortable in most buildings," Hoover said. "Now, I'm always looking for what's wrong with a building before I go into it, and I'm not sure that's ever really going to leave."
Hoover now works as a photojournalist at ABC affiliate KNXV-TV in Phoenix.
"Some of life is great," Hoover said. "Like, I love the work I do. I love being in Arizona."
Now living in a new home, Hoover is working to live with the trauma from the building collapse every day. She's now going to therapy.
"It's been a result of what happened," she said." And I noticed that there were things that were affecting my work. There were things that were affecting my social life that I was having trouble fixing on my own. And I'm glad I found the person that I did. She's been really helpful. I'm getting the help that I need."
Hoover is one of several former residents involved in a class action lawsuit formed following the collapse.
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News 8 has spent months compiling never-before-seen footage as part of a special report "A Community Rising: Davenport Collapse 1 Year Later." This story is one of many as we commemorate the one-year mark of the tragic event that rocked the Quad Cities community. It would not have been made possible without the hard work and determination of the following WQAD employees: Josh Lamberty, Jon Diaz, Joe McCoy, Jenna Webster, Jonathan Fong, Cesar Sanchez, Shelby Kluver, Scott Weas, Charles Hart, Mikaela Schlueter, Alec Doxsee, Jenny Hipskind, Andy McKay and Corey Spencer.
Find continuing coverage of the Davenport collapse on News 8's YouTube page