Storms Ravage NE Iowa

The picture with this blog is from the KCRG-TV website showing a very small portion of the damage that took place in Parkersburg this past weekend from an extremely large tornado. My sister taught at the high school that received very extensive damage from the storm.

While I reflect on everything that has happened there, two thoughts come to mind. First, this is the very reason that we are building the storm shelter on the west side of town. If Vinton gets hit like Parkersburg, the shelter will be there to help protect lives. Looking at the photos, it is amazing the damage that a tornado can do. There was a storm cell that was bearing down on Vinton Sunday evening, but fortunately, it did not start any tornadoes.

The second thought is that we will be very fortunate to have AmeriCorps here in about a month. The AmeriCorps volunteers are trained for exactly these types of situations. There may be some that come from other parts of the country right now, but it will be nice to have them nearby to respond more quickly.

Maple Lane Storm Shelter Progress

After raining nearly two inches Tuesday night, the skies have cleared and the sun is shining. Despite delays from two weeks of rainy Thursdays and Fridays, work is progressing on the Maple Lane Storm Shelter. This building will serve as a shelter for nearby residents in case of a tornado or windstorm, and also as an enclosed picnic shelter for residents to rent from the city for picnics and other gatherings.

The picture above shows the crew from Prairie Construction tying rebar and forming the walls for the shelter. The concrete for the walls will be pured in about a week. The picture also shows the clear sky we enjoyed today!