Memorial Day has more significance in Parkersburg, Iowa this year. It will be one year ago to the day that the little town in Butler County was nearly wiped off the map by an EF 05 tornado.
6 People were killed in Parkersburg...3 more died in the New Hartford area.
The town was changed forever...but rebirth of homes and connections between family and friends in the area is amazing. It is a testament to the community and to the caring of those who were there day one and again through the last 365 days.
Parkersburg now looks like a new housing development in any suburb Iowa. The big trees that lined the streets are gone. Now there are new sprouts and saplings. There are new and bigger homes in the place where only foundations remained after the tornado last May 25th.
The numbers are amazing. 282 homes were damaged or destroyed. The cost estimate so far is around $37 million.
This weekend Parkersburg will pay tribute to those who were killed and to those who survived. Memorial Day weekend has special meaning for those folks in north central Iowa.
The National Weather Service in Johnston has a pdf poster of the track and timeline of the May 25, 2008 tornado. You can see it and find out more about the events this weekend. www.crh.noaa.gov/dmx/?=parkersburg
Have a safe weekend.
Ed
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