Tornado Coverage

"For Thou hast been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm." (Isaiah 25:4)

On the evening of May 26, 2001, a tornado that was reported to be an F2 strength storm struck the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary (CTS). Wind in excess of 150 miles per hour severely damaged several buildings, uprooted and mangled hundreds of trees, and caused extensive devastation. The tornado cut a path from the main north-side road, Coliseum, across Clinton Street, turned to cut into the Papermill Bluffs neighborhood, crossed St. Joe Center, devastated the upper floor of the Towne House Retirement Home, and then came into the seminary near the faculty and staff homes. Several homes sustained broken windows and doors, and some cars were damaged. Two of the 26 residences on campus were damaged to the extent that the families moved to other homes. The homes of the Rev. Dr. Dean O. Wenthe, President of CTS, and the Rev. Dean C. Wachholz, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, were those that were affected. Fortunately, there were two homes vacant on campus that they can use while extent of the damage can be determined and repaired. The seminary community assisted the Wenthes and the Wachholzes on boxing up their belongings and moving them to the other houses. Just before the storm struck, President Wenthe hurried outside to move his car into the garage to avoid hail damage. As the garage began to rattle, he decided to stay in the garage. "I put my seat belt on just in case the wind took the car," he said. The tornado tore away one of the walls of the garage as President Wenthe rode out the storm unharmed. Large portions of the roof and top floor of his home were ripped away. Dr. Wenthe said, "I am most grateful to our Lord that no lives were lost in the seminary family nor in the Fort Wayne community. The expressions of thanks to God for protecting life in Fort Wayne churches on Sunday were truly appreciated." Every tree in the path of the storm was either downed or had its top twenty feet taken off. The evergreen trees that lined the parking lot, and the willow trees behind Wambsganss Gymnasium are mostly gone. The flowering deciduous trees between the library and the chapel lie in a pile o top on another big tree behind the library that was snapped in half. The clean-up crews estimate that there are over 100 trees in the lake. The Administration building lost two windows, one of which was in Dr. Wenthe's office. The Chapel lost many roof tiles and has a hole that needs repair. The library is almost untouched. The doors to enter the cafeteria were shattered, as were windows in one of the classroom buildings. The atmosphere here is eerie and sober, but thankfulness to God for keeping His people safe permeates the community. We are now working together to pick up pieces - many of the students have pitched in to assist in moving personal belongings of the Wachholzes and Wenthes. Summer classes were canceled Monday through Wednesday. "The faculty, staff, and students are already busy cleaning, picking up, and rebuilding," continued Dr. Wenthe. "It is our great privilege and noble calling to train and to form caring Lutheran pastors to serve God's people. We invite individuals and congregations to send whatever support they can to help the seminary speed its recovery as we continue to serve His church." You can find additional aftermath photographs of the campus on the seminary's web site, www.ctsfw.edu. That's Our House An hour before the tornado, about 4:45 p.m., I was in the upstairs guest bedroom exercising. Dean and I left for church not long thereafter. The storm hit at about 5:45 p.m., and our house was heavily damaged. The roof over the room where I'd been exercising had been torn off by the tornado and flung backwards over the house, over the cypress bushes into the field beyond. On our way back from church, I saw the devastation at the nearby shopping center. As we entered campus, however, nothing appeared to be damaged. When we reached the Luther statue, however, we could see that the trees leading up to our home had been either torn out or sheared off. I said to Dean, "that's our house!" It was very clear from the road that our house had been badly damaged and that the minivan in the driveway had been totalled. Many concerned people greeted us as we arrived home-they had been worried that we'd been injured. While the house was ravaged, most of our personal belongings were intact and salvageable. What a blessing that we opted to go to church that evening and that I wasn't still in the guest room when the tornado ripped through! Mrs. Betty Wachholz We Are So Thankful I came home from work at 4 p.m., and we were trying to decide what to have for supper when we heard the tornado warnings on television. We took the warning seriously. My husband went out to move the car into the garage so that it would not be damaged by hail, and not a minute later, there was an incredible noise that we could not identify. I told our son, Joshua, to go downstairs. I rushed to see if I could open the door for my husband, and decided to head downstairs instead when I saw the contents of my living room swirling around with the glass from the broken windows and debris from outside. Josh and I hugged each other downstairs and prayed over and over that God keep Dad safe. When all was quiet, I went upstairs to see if my husband was all right. He was standing at the kitchen door, trying to get in. We were, to say the least, overjoyed and thankful to see each other. If we hadn't been separated during the tornado, it probably would not have been such an ordeal. The maintenance staff and seminarians on campus have been wonderful. They were there immediately to begin raking up the glass and debris in the living room and to board up the windows. Some students even went over to the Towne House retirement home to offer their help. We are so thankful to God that no one was hurt during the tornado and pleased to see the community pulling together. Mrs. Linda Wenthe We Eagerly Press Forward I was in my study in Jerome Hall when I heard the sound of the wind and noticed that the skies were becoming dark. As I turned from my computer, I saw a large tree splinter and fall. My first thought was to go downstairs to the basement, but the large window by the steps appeared to be ready to break, I decided to wait out the storm in a closet in the Concordia Theological Quarterly office. Within a few minutes, the tornado was gone. The hallway was littered with shards of broken glass, gravel, and other debris. It was only after the storm was over that I realized the magnitude of its impact on our campus. In the mercy of God, we were spared bodily harm, although our campus has been disfigured. What has not changed is the strength of our seminary community as we eagerly press forward in our work of shaping men who will care for Christ's people with faithfulness and compassion. Prof. John T. Pless Responded with Humble Faith As a first-year student coming to a new place and trying to get settled in, I was a little overwhelmed. However, a tornado ripping through the campus can make the process of settling in a little more difficult! Still making my new dorm room my own on Saturday evening, I heard things pounding against the side of Brenz Hall. I looked out the window to see what the sound was and saw the tornado funnel carrying massive amounts of debris and water from the lake. The lake itself was like a fountain. It was an awesome and scary sight that I truly hope never to see again. In reflection, one might think that my first reaction would be to pack up my bags and return home. Quite the contrary, however. The tornado's destruction pulled the seminary community together, and I found my place within the seminary family as I helped clean up brush and debris from streets and helped families relocate. I saw firsthand how the seminary community reacted to such a disaster and, through it all, they responded with humble faith that God works in everything for the good of those who love him. Seminarian Ryan Mills Community Gathers for Fellowship and Support On Sunday afternoon, the day after the tornado struck the campus, the families that live on campus gathered for a potluck meal outside. It was a great opportunity for everyone to talk about what had happened and to offer support to one another. Boy Scouts of America Provide Helping Hands On Memorial Day, Boy Scout Troop 96 from Ascension Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne came to campus and picked up debris around the Luther Statue. Second-year seminarian Lawrence Bradt, who is a Chaplain for the Anthony Wayne Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and who is preparing to leave on vicarage in August, encouraged wider support of the clean up effort by the council, which resulted in a group of 45 boys and adults coming to campus on Saturday, June 2nd. The volunteers picked up debris behind the Wenthe's home and on the edge of campus that borders the Towne House Retirement Home. The Council will continue to be available to assist with clean up as needed. LCMS President Surveys Tornado Devastation The Rev. Dr. Robert T. Kuhn, President of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, visited the campus on Wednesday, May 31, 2001, to see personally the damage caused by the tornado and to express his concern and care for the faculty, students, and staff of the seminary. When President Kuhn met with the staff in the afternoon, he commented, "It's for people that I'm concerned. I wanted to be sure that you're okay-and that means more than just physically okay. This is an emotional time. What comes to mind is Psalm 46: 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.'" President Kuhn also reminded the students and staff of the mission of the seminary. "This campus is here for pastoral formation. What a phenomenal way for future pastors to experience God's love during training. While virtually every building and 15 seminary vehicles have been effected, classes were being held." While insurance will help cover much of the building repair, continuous assessment continues to reveal hidden costs that will not be covered, including    The loss of more then 200 trees    Removal of debris in lake to restore campus cooling system    Cleaning and restoration of chapel organ    Cleaning of vast seminary grounds which are now covered with glass and hazardous debris    Personal effects in dorms, offices, and homes    Deductibles on cars and other personal items belonging to community members How Can You Help? To assist the seminary in recovering from this disaster, you can call the seminary Office of Institutional Advancement at 1-877-287-4338, x2196, or send a check, payable to CTS, to Concordia Theological Seminary, 6600 N. Clinton St., Fort Wayne, IN 46825. Please indicate "Tornado Relief" in the memo section of your check.