Dexter Community Rebuilds & Remembers on Tornado Anniversary

3/15/13 - Events will mark the anniversary of a tornado that touched down last year in the Dexter area, as efforts to improve storm safety continue. The storm affected 266 homes, 20 of them completely destroyed, caused $9.1 million in damage and cost agencies an additional $1.2 million in debris cleanup. Most damaged or destroyed homes have been rebuilt, but some construction continues. While no one was injured in the March 15, 2012, tornado, the storm prompted officials to take a fresh look at severe weather preparedness. Sixteen new tornado warning sirens have been placed in Dexter Township with a federal grant from the Department of Homeland Security adding 27 more across Washtenaw County. ?We think we?re ready again for another one,? said Marc Breckenridge, director of Emergency Management for Washtenaw County. ?The healing process was embraced by the community at large,? said Dexter Village President Shawn Keough. ?You realize just how important the basic elements of your everyday life really are. It?s truly a blessing that nobody was hurt or killed. We feel very thankful for the simple elements of life: a home, car, your own bedroom, a roof over your head. If we weren?t thankful for those things before, I think we all are now.? Among the events planned today is an open house at LaFontaine Chevrolet from 3 to 7pm where residents can apply to get help from the Dexter Tornado Relief Fund, which still has about $37,000. The relief fund, which plans to shut down, raised about $330,000. Another planned anniversary event is the Dexter F 3.1 Tornado Run/Walk, which will be held at 7pm at Hudson Mills Metropark. Following the storm, the park itself lost power and running water. Its 18-hole golf course also sustained significant damage. Photos courtesy of Oliver Darrow. (JK)

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