Community Corner

Dexter Mom Learns Humble Lesson After Family's House was Destroyed by Tornado

Dexter resident Wendy Martin talks about her family's experience with insurance companies, contractors and help from unlikely allies following the March 15 tornado.

For the past two months, Dexter resident Wendy Martin, like so many other residents, has been displaced, staying at a temporary home in Dexter Township until repairs can be made on her property.

Martin's house, located in the Huron Farms subdivision in the Village of Dexter was virtually destroyed when an on March 15.

"We have a long way to go. Right now we just have a pile of dirt where our house was," Martin said.

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Martin still vividly recalls that warm spring afternoon when tornado sirens violently sounded through the community.

"I grabbed the kids and ran inside," Martin told NBC Nightly News during an interview. "When I saw the swing set go by (outside), I took the kids and we hunkered down in the basement."

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Nothing could prepare her for what happened next.

"I remember hearing a lot of loud noises without really knowing what was going on or what to expect," she said.

After the tornado hit, Martin headed outdoors to inspect the home.

"I wasn't sure what to do. I called 911 and they told me to get out of the house," she recalls.

The tornado's damaging winds had ripped a gaping hole in the side of the family's house, exposing most of the livable areas to the elements.

"We're going to take care of you"

The morning after the tornado hit, Martin took her children to her parents' house and began the long journey back to Huron Farms to salvage what she could from her home.

"In a situation where you are exposed to so much devastation so quickly, you don't know what to do next," she said.

That's when local came to the rescue.

"Cindy found me. She knew the house was a total loss and immediately began working with my husband and I to file our claims and look for a temporary residence," Martin said. "She told me, 'Don't worry, we're going to take care of you.'"

To that end, the family was provided lodging at Weber's Inn in Ann Arbor until a Dexter Township couple, who heard about the tornado, decided to take their secluded cabin off the market and offer it to a local family as a temporary home.

"Being able to stay in a nice house together as a family has really helped the rebuilding process go smoother," she said. "I have this twisted sense of guilt, however. We get to go to this serene place when I know that there are other people in the community who are still struggling.

"I definitely feel for the people who still have to drive through their neighborhood every day and see the tarps on the houses."

As of May, Martin said contractors have informed the family that their new house should be finished by the start of the school year in September.

"Realistically I am hoping we can be back trick-or-treating in our neighborhood by Halloween," she said.

She said the past two months have been filled with ups and downs, working with insurance companies, contractors, and trying to remember everything that was lost in the storm.

"Not all weeks have been easy. You want to tell yourself that it's just stuff and stuff can be replaced, but over time you get sad," she said. "I'm thankful for the support of my husband and my friends. They hold me up when I want to fall. Having experienced this tornado, it definitely gives you a sense that petty stuff doesn't matter."

The professional photographer has been making due at her new found "haven" in the woods and has begun taking clients again.

"Being able to stay in a nice house together as a family has really helped the rebuilding process go smother," Martin said. "I'm thankful that we're able to be together as a family with our animals."

One animal in particular, a Golden doodle puppy named Wyatt, which Martin won at the Education Foundation of Dexter's just five days before the tornado hit, has helped Martin's children, Jack and Lauren, with the adjustment to their temporary lodgings.

"Once we were settled in and the animals adjusted, there was this sense of normalcy back in our lives," Martin explained. "My focus has been the safety and well being of my children after going through such a traumatic event."

She said officials at Dexter Community Schools did "an amazing job" providing food, clothing, counseling and other resources to families immediately following the tornado.

"It's still going to take a long time to heal," she said. "Some of my friends have asked if we plan on moving from Dexter, and the answer is no. We're never moving from this community."

The volunteer becomes the recepient

Martin, an active member in the community, said one of the hardest parts of losing her home in the storm has been allowing people in the community to help. 

"A lot of us who lost our homes were the ones who normally spend our time helping out others," she said. "It's been hard to ask for help."

Martin recalled the first time she went to the community donation center to pick up supplies for her family.

"I didn't want to go, but my friends encouraged me. I didn't understand at the time that it was Dexter residents wanting to help Dexter," she said. "It was an incredible experience to walk into the donation center and see everything that people donated for us. The local businesses and residents really stepped up to the plate. It was and continues to be a humbling experience."

Since then, she and others in the community who have received assistance, are paying it forward by helping residents who are having a harder time coping with the storm's aftermath.

"Many people who were affected by the tornado are tired of talking about it and tired of being a victim. Sometimes you don't want to tell your story again, but you have to step back and think that the people around you generally care about you. That's what makes Dexter such a great community to live in," she said. "The process of healing is going to take time. It's been two months since our world changed; for some of us majorly."

Martin said she encourages everyone to take pictures of their possessions and keep them in a safe place.

"You can't remember everything, and when you have to document your possessions, photos can help," she said. "I don't know how many pairs of socks my kids had. It's a daunting process, but it's part of the process. I know we're going to miss things, but you do the best you can."

Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part series chronicling the tornado clean-up in Dexter. Look for our second story on Friday.


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