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On March 16, 2012, the Dexter community quickly came together to overcome a natural disaster that affected many
By: Nick LeBlanc and Caden Koenig
The peace that preceded the tornado was followed by shock. Dexter’s bubble finally popped. A community that once stood in silence came together. Adversity was a rare thing for the 4,127 citizens of Dexter to face, as nothing serious has ever happened in the small, peaceful town.
Before the sun rose that day, the streets of each neighborhood were packed with insurance companies, disaster relief companies, and newscasters getting prepared to deliver a story about a village in southeast Michigan. News about the tornado reached all over the nation reaching even to Hawaii.
Dexter exemplified a close knit community. Local businesses and restaurants donated food and other goods to the devastated areas. Busch’s played a key role in helping families by donating cases of water and having a cookout that night. To add to this, Mill Creek Middle School and Creekside Intermediate both combined with The Red Cross, and opened up their doors for people who needed a place to stay that night
Gloves, long pants, boots, protective eyewear, tools. All were used to collectively gear up the people of Dexter. Adults and kids alike came from all over the district to help the unfortunate families in Huron Farms, Horseshoe Bend, and numerous other businesses and households. Kids ventured out into the neighborhood to help clean up the possessions of others like drywall, insulation, siding, furniture, roofing shingles, and, sadly, more. Despite the chaos of the tornado, citizens of Dexter were at their friendliest. People walked around with food and water for the affected and for the workers. Businesses, like Busch’s by Huron Farms, opened their pantry to help feed families that lost their ability to fulfill the task of preparing something as basic as food.
The winds that the tornado produced equated to those consistent with an EF3 tornado; easily ripping through the seemingly insignificant village. Over one hundred houses were hit and thirteen were completely totaled. In total, the damage took a
In all, while the people may have had different opinions, goals, and lifestyles, in the end the community came together and put aside their differences. This is because we’re all human and deserve love during times of grief. By coming together during the tornado the people of Dexter shows why we live by one phrase: Dreadstong.
