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The Gift Guide Pages 15-18
November 25, 2013
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Tornado damaged houses, downed powerlines By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com Oregon residents last week were still cleaning up debris caused by a tornado that tore through the city at about 5:35 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17. There were reports of damage to multiple houses in several subdivisions, downed powerlines and uprooted trees. The tornado was one of three that struck the area, according to the National Weather Service. The first twister started in Perrysburg at about 5:35 p.m., cut a 12 mile path into Oregon, where it ended at about 5:55 p.m. The width of the EF2 tornado was 150-200 yards and had an estimated maximum wind of between 120-125 mph. The tornado had formed near Lime City Road and U.S. Route 20 in Perrysburg. It reached EF2 strength near Oregon Road and Route 795 near Perrysburg. It then continued moving northeast at mostly EF1 or EF0 strength until reaching EF2 strength once again in Oregon where several homes were destroyed. “It appears the damage in Oregon started on State Route 2 east of Coy,” Oregon Mayor Mike Seferian said. “It crossed Lynn Park Estates, a subdivision across from Pearson Metropark, on the Lallendorf side. It hit a few houses on Lallendorf, went straight through Pearson Metropark, where it did a lot of tree damage.” The tornado then hit Eden Park, a subdivision behind Fire Station No. 1 off Wynn Road, between Seaman Road and Starr Extension, said Seferian, who went out to survey the damage on Monday morning. “It damaged several houses in that subdivision. One house was just being built, it was roughed in, and it was totally leveled. There’s nothing left. The whole house is gone. Just the floor was left.” The tornado then went north towards Stadium Road, between Seaman and Corduroy roads, and damaged more homes in a subdivision nearby, said Seferian. “It was not as significant as on Eden Park and Lallendort Road. After that, it kind of dissipated. It was a narrow path. No one was injured in the city. We were fortunate it kind of went on a narrow path hitting those areas. Just some power line damage down Seaman Road.” There was also significant damage to the roof of a Streets Department building at the municipal complex on Seaman Road,
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I think it’s ridiculous that congress has their own special little plan that insulates them from what everybody else is going through… Rep. Barbara Sears See page 14
Robert and Patricia Zeller were inside their home on Lallendorf Road, Oregon, just outside of Pearson Metropark when an EF2 tornado struck and took their roof off. (Press photo by Harold Hamilton/HEHphotos.smugmug.com)
Stritch, Clay students to the rescue By J. Patrick Eaken Press Staff Writer news@presspublications.com Cardinal Stritch Catholic senior Austin Pratt saw his family’s home destroyed by an EF4 tornado that struck Lake Township in 2010, and volunteers arrived to help his family. So, when Oregon residents saw their homes damaged by an EF2 tornado on Nov. 17, he wanted to do what he could. And, he brought some friends with him — a lot of them. The Monday morning after the EF2 tornado plowed through Oregon, he sent a tweet to fellow students, and approximately 25 to 30 students from Stritch and Clay high schools went into action after Kateri Catholic and Oregon schools cancelled classes. “I saw Austin’s tweet, and a lot of us responded to it, and we actually had school cancelled so it worked out that we all met up at Stritch,” said CSCHS senior Delaney Goetz, a Northwood resident. The Stritch students car-pooled to Wynn and Seaman roads, where the roofs of three contiguous homes along Seaman were destroyed, and a collection of homes along Wynn near Eden Park also saw heavy damage. Several Clay students joined them “because it is their community, too,” said Pratt,
Related stories: Near miss at Pearson...Page 2 Sundance down...........Page 3 Neighbors unite............Page 4 who transferred to Kateri Catholic Schools last year. “I was surprised at the number of people who showed up,” Goetz said. “It was kind of an eye-opener to realize how many people want to give back. Like, when we have hard times, they came and supported us, so it was good to give back. It’s definitely eye-opening.” The EF4 tornado that struck the Route 795 corridor in 2010 ultimately took eight lives and destroyed Lake High School. Included among the destruction was Pratt’s family’s home in Moline. “I remember last time, people from Clyde came out and helped us, so I was like, ‘Well, this is my community now technically so I should go out there and help them.’ I think everyone kind of had the idea that we should help, but I think I was the one who just first put it out there in words and set the time and where to meet,” Pratt said. After students spent much of Monday
helping displaced families, Stritch communications coordinator and development assistant Ryan Hehr dedicated an article to them on the Kateri website. “Reaching out to neighbors and strangers, the Stritch students sought out families in need of help,” Hehr wrote. “In some cases, students didn’t have to look very hard to find people in need of help.” Hehr was talking about Stritch senior Peyton Gladeiux, who lived near the destruction at Seaman and Wynn. Hehr quoted Gladieux, who said, “Three houses down was hit and their roof is gone. I want to help them so that I know they would help me if I was in that situation.” Another damaged house belonged to the family of Stritch student Brandon Rodriguez. Yet another house lost its roof, displacing John and Tammy Kreais and their family, who were home when the tornado hit, much like Pratt’s family was before being displaced in 2010. “The one we actually helped, the house was completely moved off the foundation, all the windows were blown out, and the front room was unleveled,” Goetz said. By the time Pratt and his cohorts showed up, Kreais’ new roof was already taking shape, thanks to restoration carpenters.
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