"Hiroshima—Nagasaki." That’s how
Governor Bill Janklow described the aftermath of the tornado that hit Spencer, South
Dakota on May 30. As a news reporter I’ve covered a number of tornadoes throughout
the Midwest, but none of them left such total destruction, as did this one. With the
exception of a few homes on the north side of town, Spencer virtually had been destroyed.
As I first walked through the debris left behind by the
storm, it was difficult to determine whether a block had been filled with small businesses
or homes; I could only guess. For instance, it appeared a seed store might have done
business on one Spencer street. All that was left in that area were bags of seed. The
building housing them was completely gone.
Further down, Chuck Roberts was going through the debris of
what once was his gas station, convenience store and coffee shop. The only thing that
indicated a service station had been there was a hoist that still held the car he had been
working on. It was his car. He planned on working on its transmission the night of the
tornado. Instead, he went to another town to have dinner with friends. Roberts says that
saved his life.
As I approached another street, I had to ask a resident
whether it had been a neighborhood or used for business. It had been a neighborhood. The
tornado had blown a semi-trailer truck into the front of a couple of yards. Imbedded in
the truck was a baby’s crib. I remember sincerely hoping that the baby was safe in
his parents’ arms.
And who can forget the water power that had been demolished
by the tornado. It became a central landmark and gathering spot as clean up began. As of
this writing, the tower has yet to be rebuilt.
The one thing I found particularly heartwarming was the
resiliency of the Spencer residents. During my initial visit, it was not uncommon to see
neighbor helping neighbor as they went through the debris which once had been their home.
For all the damage and destruction, one might think the people of Spencer would just give
up and start over in another area. That was not to be. The residents of Spencer rallied
together and in the last year, they have rebuilt their town.
It took some time for the rebuilding process to get
underway. President Clinton first declared Spencer a disaster area. During his visit to
the town on June 3, Vice President Al Gore promised millions of dollars in federal funds
which was used to help the storm victims’ immediate needs as well as the actual
rebuilding of Spencer’s streets, schools, library and ball field.
As the rebuilding process continues, more people are
deciding to stake their future in Spencer. Local businesses, such as Chuck Roberts’
service station and convenience store, have reopened. The owners say they are doing well.
If one can find anything positive in what happened on that
stormy night a year ago, it would have to be the spirit of South Dakotans. People from all
over the state volunteered their time and money to help a town and its residents heal from
the shock of the devastation and loss of friends in that tornado. For that, the people of
Spencer have expressed their gratefulness.
