Luck comes years later for couple who had lost everything

By Kate Northrop

OTTUMWA, Iowa — A woman who lost her home in a tornado won a $2 million Powerball lottery prize, which she'll use to finish building a new house.

Years after a tornado destroyed her home, Ottumwa resident Tammy Gordy won $2 million in the lottery. Now, she'll finally be able to complete construction on her new house.

"We were in the process of building a home, and it kind of got put on hold for a few years, so now this is going to speed it up," Tammy told the Iowa Lottery as she claimed her prize Monday afternoon in Clive. "And it's going to go into better details! I'm talking a walk-in closet and a Jacuzzi tub! That's what I'm talking about!"

The 56-year-old, who works as a dietary aide at a local hospital, told the Iowa Lottery about the time she and her husband, Steve, had lived in Agency, a tiny town with a population of about 620.

In April 2001, a tornado ripped through and devastated the Wapello County community. The Gordys' house was destroyed in the storm.

"We've never been material people, I can say that," Tammy continued. "Family was more important to us. So, it's going to be that way. We're just going to be able to do more things."

22 years after the storm, Tammy found herself gazing at a winning Powerball ticket worth $2 million.

The realization dawned on her when she remembered she was carrying around some unchecked lottery tickets in her purse on Sunday morning.

"I fell into my chair," Tammy recalled. "I couldn't see! There were all those zeroes! I was like, 'Maybe I need my glasses.' So yeah, we screamed."

The moment his wife began exhibiting the effects of having discovered such a big win, Steve found himself in a state of pure confusion.

 "She jumped up and was saying... well, not English, but other words I couldn't understand," Steve related. "And then I looked over and there were a lot of zeroes. Then we didn't know what it was until we got our senses back."

Tammy's ticket matched the first five numbers in the Powerball drawing on Sat., June 24, 2023 — 2, 38, 44, 50, and 62 — but missed the Powerball number 19 to hit the $424.3 million jackpot. However, she had added the Power Play option to her ticket and doubled her $1 million Match 5 prize to $2 million.

Her Quick Pick ticket was also the only ticket in the country to win a $2 million prize that night.

"I just couldn't comprehend that," she told the Lottery.

Tammy had bought her winning ticket at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh on North Quincy Avenue in Ottumwa, which will receive a $2,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the $2 million winning ticket.

The winner said she told her boss the truth when she called into work to ask for time off so she could claim her prize.

"I called my boss and told him that I needed to take Monday and Tuesday off because I won $2 million on the Powerball," she explained. "And so he says, 'Well, congratulations, if you're not April Foolin' me!'"

Before claiming the prize, she and Steve had also shared the news with their four adult children and their extended family. They admitted that it was difficult to convince them all that it was not a joke.

"I am a jokester, but not to that extent," Tammy quipped.

According to the Lottery, there are two other large prizes won this past week that are waiting to be claimed – a $1 million Mega Millions prize from Friday night's drawing and an InstaPlay jackpot of nearly $400,000, won on Saturday.

The Powerball jackpot currently stands at $462 million for the drawing on Wed., June 28 at 10:59 pm EST. Tickets cost $2 each.

Powerball lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com). The USA Mega Web site provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States' two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.

(Click to display full-size in gallery)Years after a tornado destroyed her home, Ottumwa resident Tammy Gordy won $2 million in the lottery. Now, she'll finally be able to complete construction on her new house.