On Tuesday, Aug. 28, the National Weather Service confirmed that a twister in the Northern Michigan city of Au Gres rampaged through the area causing damage to trailers and motorhomes at Point Au Gres Campground. But today you would never guess that the picturesque campground was rocked by a tornado just a few days ago after campers pitched in to help clean up the debris, reported WNEM.com.
“Everybody is just helping clearing up campsites even if they’re not ours. Husbands are going out with chainsaws just to help clean up the mess. This campground has become more of a family,” said Sara Schabel.
Luckily her camper was spared just before Labor Day weekend but she can’t say the same for many of her neighbors.
The Schabels spend most of their summer enjoying everything Au Gres has to offer but just up the road, Amy Lynch is a year-round resident.
“We looked out after the storm and the first lightning flash that we were outside to see what the damage was, and the woods were gone,” Lynch said.
To help with the sadness of their loss, Lynch put out signs as a joke asking for donations for a party and offering up some free firewood. But then dollars started to appear on her doorstep, enough that she had to put a jar out on her driveway.
“This is just one of those things that can happen at anytime, anywhere, and it’s great that people who did not experience this are stepping up to help,” Lynch said.
Now Lynch will really have to put on a block party to celebrate the labor-full Labor Day of 2018 and the new bond the Point Au Gres Campground now shares.
“Next summer we’ll be back and it’ll be better than ever,” Schabel said.
