GAYLORD — People in Gaylord, reflecting on the devastating tornado that ripped through 3 years ago today.
That couple with the March ice storm, the Gaylord community has experienced two natural disasters within that time.
And the one thing people there have learned through these experiences is that they can depend on their neighbors to help get them through tough times.
It’s been 3 years since the EF3 tornado touched down in Gaylord. In June of 2024 Gaylord reached full recovery from that storm, but after the ice storm in March, they’re back to where they were before.
“Our community is very tired because, again, we barely respond,” says Dana Bensinger, Executive Director of Otsego Community Foundation, “It’s like we just recovered from one surgery or one disaster. We’re just starting to walk again and feel like ourselves. And here we are again doing disaster work. So, it’s really challenging.”
The tornado impacted many homes, and businesses. Thousands were without power. Two people were killed and more than a dozen were injured. The community came together to be prepared for anything else that came their way.
“With the tornado, we didn’t have a plan because natural disasters don’t happen in northern Michigan, explains Bensinger, “But again, we worked really hard, even though we were tired and wanted to get back to our regular work. Several of the human service organizations said we have to plan for the next disaster because, it’s not when and if, but when you know that that that phrase took out a whole new meaning.”
The Otsego Community Foundation created support network called the Start Collaborative. It’s a program from the United Way. The foundation also established a disaster response fund. The fund was created to help people who were and will be directly impacted by natural disasters.
“We thought we were proactively planning for the future like years away. Never in a million years did we imagine nine months later, we would again be responding to another disaster.”
Goodwill northern Michigan felt the impact from the tornado… their building was destroyed and they had to start brand new. The new building reopened in early 2024.
“We’re used to being the ones who are doing the helping, not the ones that are needing the help. And, so that was an interesting dynamic,” says Josh Old’s, Goodwill Northern Michigan,” …for the staff that were working directly in the store, you know, we wanted to make sure that they were taken care of and that, that they were safe. And, so there was a lot of, unofficial team building.”
One thing everyone can agree on is the Gaylord community wanted to take care of each other.
“Everybody was, you know, whether it was businesses or individuals or other non-profits in the area. Everybody was just looking to, help each other out and get things cleaned up and get back on their feet.”
The Community Foundation says that the Gaylord Community is strong, and if people are still seeking help for recovery, they should call 211.