It has been more than two weeks since the tornado or tornadoes ripped through Williamston. I have seen a massive clean-up effort, and decided today to go out and look around to see what still remained to be done. What started out as a simple drive through town, turned into a trip across the countryside - following the path of the storm. I cannot adequately describe now how I feel. I would say I was speechless, but here I sit trying to put into words the awe I felt and the feelings of insignificance compared to the force of this storm and the pattern of destruction. I am left with total gratitude that so many survived. Pictures cannot really do justice to the horrifying reality. Even after extensive clean-ups, there remains so much to do and so many are still dealing with the emotional after-math in addition to the practical picking up of the pieces. I drove down Haslett Road, down M 52, down Harris Rd, Moyer, Shaftsburg and Bell Oak. I witnessed the hop skip and jump of the storm as it jumped over one barn but destroyed it's neighbor, merely 100 yards away. Trees were sheered off at their base, or 30 feet in the air. I never before thought of Williamston as tornado country. Now I do. I snapped a few more pictures while driving - and yet barely touched on what is out there. If there is a bright side, and we need to find one, it is that the people have turned back into neighbors - as so eloquently stated by Judy, and we are re-discovering the need for support and friendship. We would not be moving forward without that.
Massive roots still lying around McCormick Park which has a totally new skyline
More of the destruction of the Mitchell Road homes and Meadowdale. As I drove down that road, more than half of the homes were under repair, and many had either dumpsters or storage units in their driveways.
The mangled remains of some of the stands and metal work near the high school.
Haslett Road, the site of the worst destruction in which a home was totally destroyed.
If you look closely, you will see the trees sheered off as the storm progressed north and east.
The above were all on Haslett Road. Debris of this sort were in trees and strewn across multiple fields.
On M-52 - heading into Perry, this was one of the worst hit homes.
Massive roots still lying around McCormick Park which has a totally new skyline
More of the destruction of the Mitchell Road homes and Meadowdale. As I drove down that road, more than half of the homes were under repair, and many had either dumpsters or storage units in their driveways.
The mangled remains of some of the stands and metal work near the high school.
Haslett Road, the site of the worst destruction in which a home was totally destroyed.
If you look closely, you will see the trees sheered off as the storm progressed north and east.
The above were all on Haslett Road. Debris of this sort were in trees and strewn across multiple fields.
On M-52 - heading into Perry, this was one of the worst hit homes.
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