Anniversary of Otway tornado

April 01--The month of March marked three years since an F-0 tornado ripped through the village of Otway, causing minor damage to some residences and razed a fire station storage building. Otway Mayor Suzanne Nichols said nearly all of the damage from the storm has been fixed or replaced with the exception of the fire station.

When the tornado went through the village it damaged several residences, and caused roof damage to the community center and covered bridge. The storm also razed a fire station building. Nichols said all of the ground work for a new fire station has been complete on donated ground on State Route 73, the department is just waiting to complete necessary paperwork and some funding to be secured before construction can begin.

After the storm damage was assessed, several neighboring fire departments allowed the village to use their equipment to respond to incidents. Some departments donated equipment and several community fundraisers were held.

"I opened the gym (for a group) about 5:30 p.m. When I got back to the house my neighbor pulled in my driveway and the wind was blowing hard. She got out of her truck and was running up my driveway as my pine trees started snapping," Nichols recounted. "As soon as she came in the house we went directly to the basement, almost as soon as we got down there, the wind stopped. We then went outside and the only evidence of anything happening was destroyed pine trees and one was laying on top of my dog kennel."

She said after making sure the dog was OK, she went to the community center to check on the people who rented the facility.

"At that point I still did not know that a tornado had hit the village," Nichols said.

She said the people in the school had taken cover and pointed out the damage to the building once she got there. The storm had taken the roof off the gym part of the community center. Nichols said it was then she learned of the damage to the fire house.

The village carried insurance on their structures that repaired the damage done.

Since the storm, the Otway Covered Bridge has undergone a rehabilitation and reconstruction project, that's anticipated to add years to the life of the bridge. Once construction is complete on the new fire station all of the damage from the tornado will have been fixed or repaired.

Wayne Allen can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 1933 or on Twitter @WayneallenPDT

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