Community Support After Windstorm
It’s said that when dark clouds loom overhead, we need only remember that every cloud has a silver lining. And, for the residents of North Ogden, that silver lining lives within them.
On May 1st, 2016, a powerful windstorm ripped through the city. Within hours, 39,000 people had lost power, trees, branches, trampolines, and patio furniture littered the city. Wind speeds were been recorded at 70 mph in Weber and 91 mph in Davis counties and cost some cities around $500,000 in damages. Several residents were left with downed trees, branches everywhere, ruined fences, and damaged cars, properties, and homes.
However, in this darkness, North Ogden’s residents demonstrated their true character and the very definition of being a good neighbor. Thousands of residents (who were entirely or mostly unaffected by the storm) spent their entire Sunday laboring with power tools and bare hands to help those who had enormous tasks confronting them as a result of the storm. Thousands of neighbors made quick work of giant trees and obstacles that could have easily overwhelmed a single family or homeowner.
On that day, North Ogden’s residents stepped up and became a true community. Over 1,300 truckloads of trees and other green waste was collected and taken to the Green Dump where volunteers spend over 10 hours unloading and sorting it. And most of the green waste was brought in by volunteers on behalf of others. Volunteers continued to step forward in the coming days to help the Public Works department keep the Green Dump open and the trailer and truck loads coming.
In the words of North Ogden’s Mayor Brent Taylor, “Thank you for showing that America is still a land of compassionate and caring people who will help one another out in their times of challenge. As I have gone around the city, I have seen hundreds of North Ogden residents taking care of each other. And at the Green Waste Pit, we had some awesome volunteers and Public Works employees unloading trucks and keeping the line moving. So North Ogden, thanks for showing that our community comes together in a trial!”
