NEWS

A year later, Wessington Springs moves on but doesn't forget

Payton Randle
prandle@argusleader.com
A damaged home is seen in Wessington Springs on June 19, 2014, after a tornado tore through the area the previous night. More than 20 homes were destroyed in the town of about 1,000.

Nearly one year ago, a tornado tore through Wessington Springs, damaging and destroying more than 40 homes and a number of businesses and leaving a path of devastation much like the one in Delmont.

Since then, the small town of about 1,000 people northwest of Mitchell has found a way to pull together and rebuild their town into a place they can call home again.

"You never think it's going to happen to you," Mayor Melissa Mebius said. "It was devastating."

She used the word remarkable to describe Wessington Springs and the progress the residents have made since that day in June. Mebius said all of the businesses and most of the homes have been rebuilt and the town continues to move forward.

"People in Wessington Springs are resilient," she said. "We're strong and coming back better than before."

A look back at recent devastating tornadoes in S.D.

'Thank God I'm alive': 9 injured, no fatalities in Delmont tornado

The day after: Delmont tornado clean-up begins

Springs Auto was completely destroyed by the tornado. Owner Lawrence Caffee said it took about six months to rebuild his business, and it wasn't the first time he has had to start over. In 2012, the original building was destroyed in a fire.

"It was completely gone," he said, remembering the day the tornado struck his town. "But now it's completely rebuilt."

Caffee said he put the money and the time into rebuilding because he felt it was the right thing to do.

"It's your life, your little town and you've got to keep it going," he said. "We're going good, but it takes time."

In addition to his business, Caffee's home was damaged last year. He's put more than $175,000 worth of renovations into it and it's still not finished. Caffee said not many people left the town after the destruction, but most opted to stay and rebuild.

"You have to keep your chin up and keep going," he said. "When we were born, we weren't told it was all going to be easy."

American Legion and the Hideout Bar & Grill were also a total loss. There were no fatalities, but the disaster left at least 25 homes inhabitable.

Mebius was in Mitchell with her family when tornado sirens began sounding Sunday from the same storm system that had hit Delmont. She feels sick about what the people of Delmont are going through.

"Tornadoes are more real for us now because we've lived it," she said. "I know first-hand what they're feeling as a mayor and a homeowner."

Wessington Springs will take the day of June 18 to have a celebration and honor the one year mark of the disaster that shook their town. Mebius said any money raised from that day's events will be donated to relief for Delmont.

"They're going to have to stick together and stay positive," she said. "It's a sprint in the beginning, but then it's a marathon. They just need to take the time to shut down and pull together after this tragedy."