The number of man-made and natural disasters that occur every year has taken the world by surprise in the 21stcentury. No matter how well-prepared we may be, there are always areas for improvement and new learnings after a disaster. Some areas, even within the United States, are not as technologically advanced to help prevent or minimize the loss or damage caused by these disasters. Perhaps the county or city doesn’t have the budget to upgrade the system. Clayton is the area of Dayton where tornado sirens are not available. I am from Clayton and I was unaware of them until I moved to Kettering. In 2001, I was stunned when Kettering began testing their tornado sirens. Because we haven’t seen this kind of activity for the past 10-15 years, most cities north of Dayton don’t have this type warning technology. Xenia was the location of all the Wizard of Oz Tornado stories. It is located approximately 20 minutes from Dayton.
Tornadoes have caused a lot of damage and trauma in the City of Xenia Ohio. Xenia Ohio should not be surrounded by severe weather. Xenia is a place that has seen severe weather in the past. Shawnee Indians called this area “The Place of the Devil Wind” or “The Land of the Crazy Winds”. April 3, 1974, a F5 tornado was the most destructive tornado that struck the region. Just outside of downtown Xenia, the Tornado struck at 4:40pm. It traveled 32 miles through Xenia, Wilberforce and beyond. 32 people were killed in the Xenia Tornado that ravaged Xenia and Wilberforce. The city, which was 27,000 people, suffered damage to 1400 homes and 300 home losses. Nine Xenia churches, along with nine schools, were also destroyed. This happened only one hour after classes were finished. The Greene County Courthouse’s roof and windows were torn off. A train traveling through Xenia was hit by the tornado. 7 of 47 cars were blown away, resulting into Main Street being closed. Green Memorial Hospital treated over 1200 victims. 1974 saw the absence of tornado warning sirens for Xenia. Radio and television were the only means of alerting people. The 1974 Xenia Tornado caused 148 tornadoes to strike 13 states. At approximately 1,000 yards, the tornado at Xenia was the largest ever recorded, with winds of 318 mph. Xenia was struck again by another tornado, this time an F2. Fortunately, the event did not result in any deaths. The 1989 tornado was spared by the deaths of those who were able to instill tornado sirens purchased after the 1974 tornado.
September 20, 2000 Xenia is again struck by a tornado of the F4 type. The storm was more severe at night than usual, and it struck around 7:15pm. This storm was a reminder of 26 year ago, when the city had been turned upside-down. It was frightening and eye-opening for others who had never seen this kind of event. I wish that I could say that the 1974 tornado taught us a lot. However, the 2000 tornado was just as destructive and caused the same destruction. However, tornadoes are not like earthquakes or floods. California has developed structures that move and sway with the movement of the tornadoes, such as flood walls and dams. Tornadoes are capable of destroying buildings regardless of how strong they may be. The 2000 tornado damaged a large area, which was mostly a business area. However, the 1974 restructure didn’t allow the residents to return their homes. The storm caused only one death and left just over 100 injured, unlike the previous disaster. One is too many. Although the City of Xenia had installed tornado sirens after 1974’s tornado, they did not work for the 1989 storm. The Tornado’s destruction caused the warning system not to work. After that, the city purchased a replacement system with a battery backup. The community responded with extraordinary assistance in 2000. Every person who could step up to help and clear the mess, and to bring the city back to its original state of being, did so. At the time, my age was 18 and I lived 40 minutes from the area. I knew friends who lived in the same area as me and helped them to get housing. To help restore the city of Xenia, the surrounding area came together once more.
Neighbors supporting neighbors to repair one another and do so for the greater good of the community.
You would think after seeing and experiencing the devastation in the City, Xenia, that most would avoid it. I am not quick to learn or scared. I have been through two hurricanes without thinking twice and I still earn my living every day. I set out to shop in Xenia, Georgia on May 23, 2017, and my stops were the Tractor Supply (Rural King) and the Tractor Supply. The Rural King now occupies the same spot where the 1974 and 2000 tornadoes destroyed the building. My daughter was shopping in Rural King and severe thunderstorms erupted. She and I left the shop to get tractor supplies on our way home. Unfortunately, reports were that there was a funnel cloud in the area. So we made a quick stop at tractor supply and found shelter in a room behind. According to the news, the tornado touched down in the area of three miles between the two stores where we were that day. It was close to what happened in the 2000 and 1979 tornadoes. It might have been more important that my little girl was there. Perhaps the history with Xenia also bothered me.
Every county has disasters. This is only a small part of what’s happening in my corner of the globe. Comparable to the California wildfires each year, and the California hurricanes every other year, and the flooding I’ve heard of in New Jersey, we seem very small. This does not negate the horrors faced by the citizens of Xenia. However, in hindsight, many things are better than others.
