{"id":368,"date":"2016-11-30T08:50:51","date_gmt":"2016-11-30T16:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=368"},"modified":"2024-04-02T15:05:47","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T22:05:47","slug":"when-disaster-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/when-disaster-strikes\/","title":{"rendered":"When disaster strikes"},"content":{"rendered":"

OSU Ecampus student steps up to help hometown damaged by tornado<\/h2>\n
\"Kalli

Ecampus student Kalli Swanson is helping lead tornado relief efforts to aid those impacted by the damage in her hometown of Manzanita, Oregon. Visit the Manzanita Tornado Relief Facebook page<\/a> for more information, resources and to donate to relief efforts.<\/p><\/div>\n

By Heather Doherty<\/a><\/em> \u00a0
\n<\/em><\/a>November 30, 2016<\/em><\/p>\n

When Oregon State Ecampus student Kalli Swanson woke up on the morning of Oct. 14, 2016, in Tillamook, Oregon, she knew it was different than other days. The wind was blowing, lightning and thunder rattled her home and half-dollar-sized hail rained from the sky.<\/p>\n

But what she didn\u2019t know was that day was the beginning of a new purpose in her life \u2013 one focused on helping others recover.<\/p>\n

Kalli had just rolled out of bed when she heard her mother\u2019s phone displaying an emergency warning: Her town was under a tornado warning.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe honestly both laughed cautiously, but looked out the window,\u201d she says. \u201cThe clouds looked very different, and from then on we will never look at clouds the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

A tornado with max wind speeds reaching 125-130 mph hit the small town of Manzanita, only about 10 miles from Kalli\u2019s home, at about 8:20 a.m. Almost 130 structures, including houses and businesses, were damaged to some extent, four of them deemed inaccessible.<\/p>\n

“<\/span>The clouds looked very different, and from then on we will never look at clouds the same.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe both started crying hysterically, unsure of what buildings were still standing,\u201d Kalli says. \u201cI immediately wanted to go over and help with boarding up windows to brace for the storm that was supposed to hit \u2013 but thankfully didn’t \u2013 on Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tornado ripped through almost three-quarters of a mile, partially cutting through the town\u2019s main street.<\/p>\n

\"Ecampus

So far, the community has raised more than $10,000, designed T-shirts and sweatshirts to sell and have organized several community fundraisers throughout November and December.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe miracle is there were no reported injuries,\u201d says Gordon McCraw, Tillamook County Emergency Management director. \u201cOne reason why is that a lot of these were second homes, so they were unoccupied.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalli and her mom, Laura, immediately decided they would do what they could to help the nearby town, the same town they both once called home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love that little town and all of its character,\u201d Kalli says. \u201cWe felt so helpless and anxious over the fact that we were completely unfazed, yet hundreds of our friends and community members had their lives changed forever because of the tornado.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the help of others in their community, they established the Manzanita Tornado Relief Fund. So far, the community has raised more than $10,000, designed T-shirts and sweatshirts to sell and have organized several community fundraisers throughout November and December.<\/p>\n

The money will go toward anybody who was affected by the tornado, Kalli says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope \u2013 and know \u2013 that the money will be used in home repairs, replacing windows, fixing roods, residing, etc.,\u201d she says. \u201cManzanita lost one-third of its trees in the tornado. This money will also be used to help replant trees.\u201d<\/p>\n

The money will also support businesses that accrued losses while being closed for several days following the tornado. Locals are encouraging tourists to travel to Manzanita and buy local for the holidays, if possible, to help offset the financial losses.<\/p>\n

“<\/span>By assisting with the tornado relief efforts, I am helping with the continuing effort of keeping Manzanita strong and healthy.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe businesses are concerned that the damage would make people not want to visit,\u201d Gordon says. \u201cSince most of the businesses are small businesses, that\u2019s what keeps them afloat.\u201d<\/p>\n

A recent graduate of Tillamook High School, Kalli currently is enrolled online with OSU Ecampus as a university exploratory studies (UESP) program<\/a> student. UESP is designed specifically for those who want to explore options for a major while working on baccalaureate requirements. Kalli hopes to complete her prerequisite classes online so she can stay in her community before transferring to earn a nursing degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am actively involved in the Tillamook County Year of Wellness program, helping to promote healthy eating, exercise and mental health,\u201d she says. \u201cIf I would have gone to Corvallis, it would have been extremely difficult to still be an advocate here for living a healthy lifestyle.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cEcampus allows me to do my work at my own pace and continue living my life while continuing my education.\u201d<\/p>\n

A life that now revolves around helping her community rebuild.<\/p>\n

\u201cI strongly believe in eating healthy, getting exercise, being mentally healthy and living in a healthy and strong community,\u201d she says. \u201cBy assisting with the tornado relief efforts, I am helping with the continuing effort of keeping Manzanita strong and healthy.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Visit the Manzanita Tornado Relief Facebook page<\/a> for more information, resources and to donate to relief efforts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 4<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>\u201cWe both started crying hysterically, unsure of what buildings were still standing. I immediately wanted to go over and help with boarding up windows to brace for the storm that was supposed to hit \u2013 but thankfully didn’t \u2013 on Saturday,” says Ecampus student Kalli Swanson. Kalli’s hometown was hit by a tornado Oct. 14.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":370,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[673],"tags":[26,25,24,158],"class_list":["post-368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-distance-education","tag-online-education","tag-online-learning","tag-university-exploratory-studies-program"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Kalli-Swanson.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-5W","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":600,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/dpp\/","url_meta":{"origin":368,"position":0},"title":"Join the OSU community. 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