Wenonah Tornado Project

Wenonah 2021 Tornado History Project

Objective

The 2021 Tornado Documentation Task Force’s goal is two-fold.

Objective 1: Documentation for the historical reference of future residents. The first objective is to document the historic EF-3 tornado of September 1, 2021, and the ensuing impact it had on Wenonah, saving the details around a significant moment in Wenonah's history for the historical reference of future residents.

Objective 2: Inform leaders to aid in future preparation. The second objective for this project is to inform the town's current leaders and residents of the challenges, collaborations, and crisis impact in order to better prepare for potential future emergencies.

Approach

The "Wenonah 2021 Tornado History Project" will gather vocal archives (similar in format and style to NPR's StoryCorps) collecting stories from people in Wenonah on audio while we gather data and documentation about the tornado that caused so much damage to our town on September 1, 2021.

We will collect and document details about the tornado and its aftermath along with stories from Wenonah residents who experienced the storm. This task force will gather this information by collecting quantitative and qualitative data – facts and figures, the financial impact on residents to date, and accounts from witnesses. We want to also tell the story of how our civic and volunteer organizations came together to support the community in the aftermath of the storm.

The task force will collect data, stories, news articles, photographs, and videos from the town's leaders and emergency responders as well as residents of all ages who experienced the events on (and after) September 1st.