Gratitude, resilience and pride were on the minds of Windham Township community members and representatives of organizations that gathered last week at the township hall to honor the community’s response and ongoing restoration from the 2024 tornado.
They shared gratitude that no residents were injured and for the coordinated response from government and non-government agencies, on the local, county and state levels. They acknowledged with pride the resilience in the Windham community shaped by so many residents and officials who stepped up in the face of disaster.
Portage County Emergency Management Agency Director Ryan Shackelford presented Windham Township officials with a building plaque that reads, “Dedicated to the Windham Township Community for their courageous response and recovery to the Windham Township tornado, on April 17th, 2024. The resiliency of the Windham community led to an earnest community and county response to an event that impacted so many residents.”
The community’s courageous response to the tornado and its aftermath was recognized by Portage County Commissioners Sabrina Christian-Bennett, Mike Tinlin and Jill Crawford with an official proclamation and by a commendation from the Ohio House of Representatives presented by Portage County Rep. Heidi Workman.
At approximately 6:45 p.m. on April 17, 2024, an EF1 tornado touched down near State Route 303 and Stanley Road in Windham Township, and traversed northeast over Bryant Road and the Ohio Turnpike for four miles. The severe weather damaged 35 properties, destroyed four structures, closed roads, downed powerlines and disrupted traffic on the Ohio Turnpike.
PC EMA coordinated the response to the tornado, working with countless government and non-government agencies to set the township on the road to recovery. PC EMA also worked with the Portage Foundation earlier in 2024 to establish the Portage County Disaster Relief Fund which collects and manages donations for local disasters. The new fund was able to distribute $18,751 in donations for repairs and other kinds of assistance to Windham township residents. The fund will remain in effect for future large-impact incidents to aid Portage County communities.