this is what mary ivey returned to a few days ago. home she and her late husband had lived in since the early 1970s was gone. >> what went through your mind when you first saw your house looking like this. >> i've never seen anything like it before. >> the early indication was that a gas explosion caused the blast. neighbors pointed to the road construction and suggested a worker hit a line while digging. >> all of the neighbors said there was one boom and it sounded like an atomic bomb. >> reporter: mary ivey says her being away wasn't luck, it was a blessing. >> this is a very emotional time for me, but on the other hand, this is a very spiritual time for me, because god saw to it that was a blessed enough to be away. i'm not lucky, i'm blessed. >> reporter: she lives across from rock creek park and the initial damage was a million dollars but that doesn't begin to cover the contents of the house that are underneath all rubb. le there islittle to va geas the roof -- salvage as the roof collapsed burying most of the personal affects