The remnants of one of the houses that was destroyed in Huron Farms subdivision one

year after the tornado.

Children practice tornado drills at Mill Creek Middle School.
Dexter mourns over one year anniversary of tornado
By Megan Podschlne
Dexter, MIA brief walk through the Hudson Mills Metropark shows the destruction that
occurred just a year ago from the EF3 tornado that ravaged the small town outside of Ann Arbor.
Tree limbs continue to dangle helplessly from the formerly lush park.
Several homes were severely damaged on
March 15, 2012. Fortunately no deaths or
injuries were reported. The tornado touched
down in the Huron Farms neighborhood and
again at the Hudson Mills Metropark.
I feel so bad for the people who lost
everything they had from the storm, said
Dexter resident Samantha Steegan. I mean,
insurance can fix a house but the things
inside it cant be replaced.
Winds were between 135 and 165 mph in the midst of the storm and over 200 houses faced
damage.
Following the storm, a community clean-up lasted for several weeks. Local businesses donated
services and supplies to help the neighborhood.
I remember we didnt have
power for about a week and we
had to go to Buschs everyday
for food, said Dexter resident
Mark White. They were
giving out free hot dogs, chips
and drinks. You could really
feel everybody trying to help
out.
According to Washtenaw
Countys emergency
management division, over $10
million were spent for damage
reparations and clean-up.
As the town continues to heal,
they are taking several precautions to prevent such catastrophes in the future. Sixteen additional
sirens have been placed throughout the town. Dexter Public Schools have also taken extra care to
teach tornado safety measures.
Its just scary to think that something like this actually hit home, said Steegan. I know it
probably wont happen again but I want to make sure were all ready if it does.