"We were saved by..."

Here's a quick story for you.  The man's yard we were mucking yesterday told us a story.  The houses around him were damaged by over 6 feet of water coming inside of the buildings.  Water tore through the first floors, bringing in debris and sucking out whatever was inside.  This man said his house was spared.  The inside of his house had no water damage.  The water never came into the house.  He said "our windows held." 

Windows?  Two panes of glass?  These waves moved giant boats onto shore.  It knocked down concrete.  Two panes of glass spared his home?  Clearly I'm surprised.  He then goes onto to say "we were saved by our alter."

The alter in any Japanese home is probably the most important piece of "furniture" they own.  Some contain ancestral ashes, while others mark a spot for daily prayer.  The point is, this man believes his house was spared because of this alter.  Who am I to argue?!  It makes no sense that his windows held the water out.  If it makes sense to him that the alter saved his home, go for it.

Stories like this make this experience all the more bizarre.  I'm happy for him, but the randomness of how and why things happen is something I simply can't get my head around.