On December 1, 2011 all of Kaysville, Bountiful, and Centerville woke up to a raging windstorm. The forecast had predicted high winds in our area the day before, but we had no idea a storm of this magnitude would come to pass. It started at about 2:00 am. We slept until about 6:00 and got up to look outside. The wind had caused our light in the back to come on. As we looked out I saw the hot tub cover half off the hot tub. We'd gotten Jayden up to get ready for school so we had him go out to put the lid back on. He said it was scary being under the trees that he thought were going to fall on him. He'd only been in a minute when we looked out to see a huge limb had fallen on the hot tub. We decided it wasn't safe to be outside. Matt went out to upright our garbage can and move it to the front, but it wouldn't budge with all the wind. I kept hearing things thud against the house so I went out and yelled at him to come in. The wind was so loud he couldn't hear me so he came in to see what I wanted. I told him we should stay inside, because it wasn't safe out there. We read the scriptures with all our kids for a few minutes. As we finished the sun was coming up and we saw shingles flying like paper everywhere. Our lawn was covered with shingles from other houses.
We turned on the news and found Davis School District hadn't closed school so we commenced getting ready for work and school. Jayden's carpool driver came at 7:00. Later Jayden said he was almost hit with a shingle as he walked out to the car, but ducked just in time. Ben and Matt left for Farmington Jr. High at 7:40. I was so nervous I told the little boys who were scared to go downstairs to play the Playstation while I got ready for work. The electricity kept flashing off and on as I hurriedly got my hair done in the basement bathroom. I watched the news as I did my hair and makeup. The reports coming in didn't sound good so I called Matt to tell him to come back home. He told me he was coming home because most of the traffic lights were out and traffic was at a standstill. It would take him at least an hour to get to work so he would just work from home.
I knew we shouldn't walk to the school with all the debris flying so Matt drove us over in the van. I was afraid to open the garage door for fear it would be blown in, but we did it anyway. Later we would learn that some of our neighbors had done it and got their garage doors blown in.
We got to the the school to find that most everyone had stayed home. I wish I had, but was an employee and didn't want to leave the boys home. Jaron was so scared I decided being at school would be better for him, and it was. He couldn't hear the storm raging or see trees and fences being blown down. I didn't get much work done and the teachers couldn't really teach. We basically kept everyone safe and watched movies or read books.
At noon the district finally closed the schools. Matt had come to get us when he received a call from the district that school was closed. Since I am in charge of lunch at school I told him to come back for us later. We served about 20 kids school lunch while they waited for their parents to come. By the time lunch was over the wind had stopped. Jaron, Noah, and I walked home. We surveyed the damage as we walked. The boys were excited. I was appalled with the damage I saw. I broke down crying when I came to the Baird's home. The had half their shingles missing, part of their fence torn down, their siding ripped up, shingle marks all over their cars, siding, and fence, their trampoline hanging broken against the swing set, and shingles covered their lawn. Matt was out helping them clean up since our house had received little damage.
Our house only lost 3 bundles of shingles Matt easily replaced, part of the fascia and soffit on the east side, which Matt fixed, shingle marks and some small holes in the stucco on our house, and a few branches down in the back. I cleaned our yard for 3 days mostly by myself since the boys and Matt were off helping others. I was glad they could help and didn't feel bad that I cleaned up our house myself. It was a lot of work, but I know others had bigger problems. All our neighbors lost trees and most of the shingles on their roofs. The trees are what took the most time to remove. Jayden worked 23 hours in 3 days just removing downed trees. We received a lot of compliments days later about Jayden and Ben and how hard they worked. Jaron went out to help a couple days, but only for a few hours. I thought it was great that he did as much as he could.
Here are a few photos of the damage.
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| Down Town Kaysville |
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| Our neighbors poor fence and trees |
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| A huge pine that took out a fence on it's way down |
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| Kirkham's back yard |
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| Lindberg's home was hit hard |
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| Cherry Hill |
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| Anderson's home on Main Street |
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| Hadley's non-existent fence |
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| Banz's siding and tree pile |
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| Banz's house | |
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| Frodsham's poor garage door |
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| Hadley's trampoline hanging in Swensen's peach tree |
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| Dabb's roof They are just 2 doors east of us. |
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| We watched this missing gate blow to smithereens across the street |
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| Baird's trampoline has seen better days |
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| Ben and Joseph found this pine cone a couple days later in the street |
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| So sad to see these huge pines fall to their death |
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| World's biggest pine cone. Not sure what tree it came out of. |
This story is not over. The storm occurred on a Thursday. Saturday the weather forecasters were predicting another wind storm in our area Sunday night into Monday morning. The governor was very concerned that the debris lying in the streets from the clean up would become flying missiles and do more property damage and cause injury to those out in the storm. Sunday morning came when we received a call from our Bishop saying "Get your work clothes on and let's clean up the streets." Jayden, Ben, and Matt headed out immediately. It was fast Sunday and church wasn't until 1:00. I figured they'd clean up what they could for 2 hours and then be back to get ready for church. I kept the younger boys home to get ready for church. I'd put a pot roast in for dinner and decided to make rolls before church. It soon became clear that the boys wouldn't be home soon and Matt called to say they'd cancelled church services. The rolls were done at about 1:00. I decided that since it was fast Sunday most of the the workers out there were probably starving so I'd take my 4 dozen rolls and hot wassail to a few of them. I loaded it into the van and found a group on Haight Creek Drive to serve them to. They were most grateful. It felt good to help in some small way. I was surprised to see families with small kids out helping. I felt kind of bad that I'd been home with the little guys when everyone was out working, but decided it was okay since I had time to make rolls and deliver them to those who really needed it. Noah had been throwing up Friday night and wasn't doing well all day Saturday. I needed to keep him in and it was good that Jaron could stay home with him when I delivered the food. Amazingly by 3:00 the streets in our stake had been cleared of all debris. The neighborhood looked almost normal again. The only thing left to give any indication that we'd been through a major disaster was all the roofs covered with tarps and stumps of trees everywhere you looked. It was a weekend of miracles. It was a good experience for the boys to give service. At our ward party a week later our neighbor, Vicki Wright, read a poem she'd written after the storm:
‘Twas a few weeks ‘til Christmas
When all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring -
Except for my spouse,
The children and dog were
All nestled in bed -
While a winter east wind,
Filled my hubby with dread!
When out in the neighborhood,
There arose such a clatter -
He kept leaping from bed
To see what was the matter!
But I, who finds sleep
More important than weather,
Stayed blissfully peaceful,
My dreams strung together.
The morning arrived,
And the wind kept it’s raging,
We all watched from windows -
At the war that was waging.
The shingles were flying
From roofs with great flair,
And the siding from houses
Left plywood laid bare.
Each neighbor watched helplessly,
From windows a’shaking,
And some neighbors engaged
In some crazy risk taking!
In the hopes that their fence
Could be saved from disaster,
The McKnights ventured forth
With debris flying faster -
When from what to their
Wondering eyes should appear,
Debris wacking Sheron
Filling Brandon with fear!
The stars how they twinkled,
As her consciousness wavered -
And for a few days a black eye
Left her lovely face flavored!
But the storm would keep raging,
As trees fell to repose -
At the McKay’s they dropped over,
Like three dominos!
At the Kapp's where a tree house
Is the envy of all,
Tree trunks snapped all around
But the house didn’t fall.
For Josh had been praying
As a window glass shattered,
That his tree house would be safe,
As if nothing else mattered!
In the cul-de-sac, shingles
Were missiles misguided,
And the Lindbergs watched fearfully -
As flying debris was soon sighted!
They knew that their trees,
Were about to go dropping,
So they ran for another view
Their eyes all a’popping,
When from up at the window,
They heard such a shatter,
They ran back to the place -
Where the glass was a splatter!
The Andersons roof,
Now gave view to the sky,
And the garbage cans
Flew uncontrollably by.
At the Swenson’s they watched
With chagrin at the sight -
Of the Hadley’s trampoline,
That had launched and took flight.
It now perched, impaled
In their own peach trees branches,
Precarious lurching caused
Severe Swenson blanches!
Every fence was now flattened,
And the neighborhood teetered -
Yet we all watched with wonder
‘Til the wind finally petered.
Mark and Kim felt the sorrow
Of three little pigs,
When they found their new house
Just a pile of twigs!
Perhaps they’ll rethink
Their unpopular ploy,
To move away from we neighbors -
Who bring them such joy!
There were stories of fences,
Tent trailers and shingles -
And as we searched for lost items,
We locked arms and we mingled,
The school day was cancelled -
The phones started ringing,
We ran quickly to Windridge
To collect our small offspring.
When Friday arrived,
School was cancelled once more,
And the cleanup began,
An insurmountable chore.
But neighbors came forth,
With their chain saws and rakes -
And the kids came to help,
Not a one of them flakes!
Now the branches were piled
In front of the houses,
While the neighborhood soon filled
With all of our spouses.
The sight was amazing,
The children how merry -
And the work became light
A small burden to carry.
The Ridings so clever,
Taking stock of the place -
Took a look at a tree
That had snapped from its base -
And they took it inside
Where they trimmed it with glee,
Having created their “Tannenbaum” from the debris!
Then Sunday arrived,
And the report was appalling,
Another East wind
Was about to come calling!
The men joined the Bishop,
Who kindled the flame -
And he whistled and shouted
And called each by name:
“On Lindberg, on Dayton,
On Brimley,” he’d say -
“Come Robison, Preece,
Prince, and Kyle Mckay!
Let’s all gather trailers,
And trucks by the dozens,
And we’ll plan an attack -
That would shock all our cousins!
To the end of 1250 to Haight Creek,”
Came the call,
“Now dash away, dash away,
Dash away all!”
Church meetings were cancelled,
And the neighbors were busy,
The debris disappeared so quickly
It made most of us dizzy!
Treats were supplied,
And some sandwiches offered -
As throughout that great Sabbath,
True service was proffered.
With a gusto that no one
Could ever dispute,
The South Benchers were proving
Themselves quite astute.
In fact one employee
Who works for the city,
Who had been working non-stop -
Quite deserving of pity,
Would state the next day
That if war came to town,
Give each Mormon a gun
And they’d shut that war down.
We gathered together,
And we lifted the load -
And though tattered and damaged,
We cleared every road.
We’ll always remember,
The storm in its fury -
But far stronger the mem’ry,
When we all were a’flurry -
With rakes in our hands,
And the chain saws a’roaring -
And Mike Brian astride a tree,
In the Isle’s yard scoring -
We’ll think of the way
That we banded together,
When we all felt the wrath
Of historic, bad weather.
While suddenly fences,
That kept us apart -
Fell down and fell open,
To join every heart.
Now as we wait hand in hand,
For Insurance Adjusters -
We’ll know that we’re stronger
Than all weather’s blusters.
For we live in a place
Where we watch and we serve,
So that no one need ask -
Or need muster the nerve.
Now at Christmas remember
A baby so small,
Who taught us to love -
And to help through each squall.
While we share food and laughter,
We’re a beautiful sight,
Merry Christmas to all -
And to all a good night.
Merry Christmas South Bench!
Vicki B. Wright
Dec. 10, 2011
Vicki's poem summed up just how we felt during this time. We felt that Christmas had come early. Our neighborhood was blessed to feel the love we have for each other. It was a time I'm sure none of us will forget.
