Buffalo Lake looks back a year after

damaging tornado

New park made

of storm debris

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

BUFFALO LAKE -- A frame from the movie "Twister" sent residents of this small town on U.S. Highway 212 to basements and even bathrooms on June 24, 2003.

A tornado believed to be a half-mile wide with multiple vortices first touched down six miles south of town in northern Sibley County before it moved straight into the sleepy community of 770 at 7:45 p.m.

There were no casualties as emergency sirens sounded well ahead of the storm. A grain elevator on the edge of town was flattened. Zion Lutheran Church, near the center of town was heavily damaged.

Many downtown buildings had roof damage and many broken windows. Tree branches and downed power lines lay everywhere.

Three women that work at the Straw Hat Cafe on Main Street -- Melissa Walter, Tammy Coleman and owner Phyllis Huls remember it well enough to describe the evening in vivid detail.

As the tornado raged outside the cafe, Walter and 14 other people including small children huddled in a bathroom since there was no basement. An adult and small child hyperventilated and showed signs of fainting.

"You don't forget things like that," Huls said. "We could hear things thrashing about outside."

"A little boy was so scared, he sat in my lap," Walter said. "I could feel the air pressure changing rapidly.

Huls' sister, Nancy Dahl, a nurses' aide, was trying to calm people down.

Most of the front of the cafe was gone when the storm moved on. The building front was quickly rebuilt the next day by Huls' sons using gasoline generators for electrical power.

Electrical service was out for several days. The smell of natural gas permeated much of the air in town. The Lutheran church, Farmers Elevator, CenBank, grocery store, bakery and post office was heavily damaged.

"It looked like a war zone," Huls aid. "Trees and smashed vehicles were everywhere."

The storm affected a large part of the state, even flooding out I-35 and I-694 so badly in the Metro area, the freeways were closed. More than 28,000 homes and businesses in Minneapolis had extended power outages.

About 50 tornado watches were issued in southern Minnesota that day.

While Buffalo Lake was hammered by the tornado, another one struck the small community of Kandiyohi, 35 miles to the northwest.

The Twin Cities news media swarmed to town on helicopters soon after the storm was gone. Some stations did live broadcasts that night.

Coleman said emergency services disaster training paid off as teams of area personnel, many volunteers and the Army National Guard quickly began picking up the pieces.

Bricks from the destroyed grocery store were used to build a walking path and sitting area in a new park. It was created by high school student Chris Leske. He used the project to earn his Eagle Scout Award.

Ongoing recovery efforts include rebuilding the grocery store, bakery and post office.

Thursday anniversary events include:

* public tours of Zion Lutheran Church, CenBank and the Farmers Coop Elevator, 2-4 p.m.

* A business fair at the Community Center, 3-6 p.m. Free samples of Kettle Corn, root beer floats and other prizes will be available.

* Kids events 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the elementary school include face painting, balloon animals, hair coloring and the Hutch Clown Club. The Whopper Hopper will be open, 3-7 p.m.

* A picnic-style, free community meal will be served from 4-6:30 p.m. in the elementary cafeteria. The menu will include hot dogs, beans, chips, pickles, cookies and beverages.

* Tornado pictures, videos, a quilt raffle, grill giveaway and other items will be displayed, 4-6:30 p.m. in the school gym.

* Memorial Park dedication starts at 7 p.m. The program includes a welcome, raffle and prize drawings, emergency agency recognition, religious service, tolling of church bells at 7:46 p.m., unveiling of the Memorial Plaque and park dedication.