Last Sunday night as I watched the devastating tornado march across Iowa, I was thankful New Hampton was once again spared. The next day when pictures of the carnage and word of the people killed became known the complete impact of the tragedy hit home.
    The path of the storm was west to east from Aplington through Parkersburg, New Hartford, the north edge of Waterloo, and Dunkerton. Five people were killed in Parkersburg and two in New Hartford. Considering the magnitude and the wide path, authorities were surprised there were not more fatalities.
    The 2008 tornado was the worst in northeast Iowa since 1968 when Charles City and Oelwein were hit on the same day with several deaths in both cities. In 1968, the storm struck Charles City about 5 p.m. I closed the clothing store as usual and noticed the cloud formations formed a scalloped pattern. When I got home, the news of Charles City being hit was on television. The information was sketchy but the severity of the storm was obvious.
    At the time I was a board member at St. Joseph Hospital. All board members, employees, nurses and doctors were summoned to the hospital in anticipation of an influx of victims. At about 6 p.m., the injured started to arrive.  Most of them were New Hampton residents who worked in Charles City. 
    Fortunately the Charles City hospital had been spared so we did not have the large number of injured we prepared for. The gymnasium at St. Joseph school was filled with cots, blankets, etc. to serve as an emergency facility, but thankfully was not used. The hospital had sufficient capacity to handle the victims. 
    Several days later, after the authorities no longer advised people to stay away, I drove to Charles City and couldn't believe what had happened. The downtown area I had known so well was gone. The Catholic Church, the Elks Club, the Norris Hotel, the Ries Cafe in the hotel and homes of many friends all gone.
    To this day Charles City residents who lived through the experience are wary of threatening weather. After witnessing only the aftermath, I can understand their concern.