Welcome to Dexter UMC's Storm Stories blog page- a place where you can feel free to share your experiences and feel the support of others that may be feeling the same as you. This page offers you the opportunity to share your stories, thoughts, concerns, and frustrations in regards to the tornado and its aftermath. As we continue to recover, rebuild and refresh from these traumatic and strenuous happenings please feel free to share your story here.
As a girl who grew up in Kansas for 17 years I did what only seemed natural when the tornado warning sirens went off. I walked outside and looked for a tornado, or any signs of one. I was at Dexter United Methodist Church at the time the siren went off. I watched little clouds from below being sucked into dark clouds from above. This is not a good sign. Then the hail came…really another sign that the sirens were not kidding. The warning sirens repeated their summons to take shelter. By now I was amazed that many people who were at the church for dinner did not seem anxious to get to the basement. I spread the word that I was opening up the Children’s worship room for any who wished to take cover. Not long after gathering in the basement, the electricity went out and we gathered by candle light, comforting the frightened, and praying for peace.
ReplyDeleteFrom our safe shelter we had no idea what occurred above ground. As we emerged from underground we all looked to what mattered most. I looked to see if my home was still standing. Others looked to their cars. Trees littered the church lawn. We all tried calling those we loved. I finally reached my husband by phone. All were safe, children, house and cars. His story to me, “All the trees fell away from our house. You have to see this.” And so the stories came in. Everyone who was able to reach a loved one was told all were safe. No one was hurt. And that is the story of Dexter – not one was hurt. I know that Passover is not quite here, but it came early this year to Dexter. The angel of death passed over Dexter, March 15, 2012. This is my new Passover story. Please share your stories surrounding March 15, 2012, for the celebration of life and healing of our fears and our journey to the new normal.
Denise Kasischke, children and family pastor Dexter UMC, March 22, 2012.
I was at Dexter UMC helping prepare the Thursday night dinner, with my computer open and on, watching the weather approach. The sky became darker the wind was picking up, no true concern, just another Michigan thunder storm. The siren began to blow yet still no concern, I have heard the tornado siren a thousand times, and never seen a tornado. So what would make this any different? The mood among the 40 people or so at the church was similar in that, we have been conditioned that it would be just another thunder storm and it would blow over with little or no damage and life would go on as usual. WRONG! This time it was different, at just that moment Mike comes through the door he yells “there is a tornado coming this way! Everyone walk to the basement”. I quickly told my wife Paula to take our boys to the basement. I called Lyndsey (my daughter) tell her to take cover. (she was at a friend’s house in Huron Farms). Then couple of us check throughout the church to make sure everyone was on the way downstairs. At this point the tornado was here, you could see trees coming down and things flying through the air, the sound was like a train coming down the tracks, a sound that I will soon not forget. As quickly as it was here it was over. Soon people where coming up out of the basement, looking out the windows, to see trees up rooted and blown over. Everyone was making phone calls to friends and family, checking to see if all is well. My first call was to my daughter, she cried, “Dad, there is so much damage, what about all of my friends that live here? Are they alive? Where will they live”? I took the next few minutes to calm her down and let her know that I was on my way to get her. When we got to Huron farms to pick her up, we saw the awful devastation, people sorting through the debris that once was their home. There were a lot of people walking the roads looking, but not believing what they were seeing. As we drove home we could not help but think how we could help. These are our friends, our neighbors, the kids I coach, the people we go to church with, our community. When the sun came up on Friday morning we knew there was work to be done and it was not hard to find a place to jump in and get started. As the next couple days passed many things that I already knew where reaffirmed to me.We live in a great community, filled with wonderful people. Crowds of people worked in yards of people they had never meet before picking up trash, running a chainsaw, dragging branches to the road. The business of Dexter came out with food and water for everyone. To see so many people come together was over whelming. I can remember looking around and seeing everyone hard at work, and getting choked up, thinking to myself, “ wow we are the hands and feet of God. Look at all that is being done”. Although it will take many months before all is complete, houses repaired, trees and trash all picked up, we are blessed that there were no deaths, no serious injuries, and we call Dexter our home. Truly the village of angels!
ReplyDeleteScott Staebler
Let us give praise and thanksgiving to God as we celebrate His goodness and mercy over the community of Dexter following the devastating tornado last Thursday. Many homes were seriously damaged or destroyed but miraculously no lives were lost or anyone seriously injured! PRAISE GOD for His protection over the men, women, and children of Dexter!
ReplyDeleteBetty Parsons shared that she is part of a prayer group that meets on Mondays. Last Monday prior to the storm, one of the women in her prayer group felt compelled to pray for Huron River Drive. On Wednesday night this same woman had a dream that a tornado went through Dexter and specifically hit the high school. The next morning she shared her dream with her daughter who stated that she ALSO had a similar dream that Dexter was hit by a tornado. They both felt compelled to pray for Dexter immediately. Together, over the phone, the two of them prayed that very morning (Thursday morning) that God would protect our community should a possible storm come our way. (Now please re-read the paragraph above!)
Blessings!
Cathy Leadley & Betty Parsons