Below right is the same cottage today
THE PALM SUNDAY TORNADO - APRIL 11, 1965
[Page 1 - home] [Page 2 - tornado witnesses] [Page 3 - the damage path]
Aftermath
The Palm Sunday tornado struck Manitou Beach at a time before the seasonal resort was fully occupied by vacationers. Some had been at their cottages during the day, but had returned to their primary homes out of the area before the storm hit. Others had already started their vacation season and were trapped in their basement-less cottages.
Primary homes at Manitou Beach fared slightly better than their lesser-quality cottage counterparts. Many of the resort homes were of lightweight construction and were without heating systems. Permanent homes were constructed of more solid materials and had basements. Few cottages, with their proximity to the lake, had basements, owing to the low water table. However, many primary homes in the direct path of the tornado showed little resistance to the 200+ mph winds.
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One of the attractions of the Manitou Beach area was the heavily-treed landscape and greenery. The Palm Sunday tornado destroyed much of this, and to this day the resort has failed to capture the natural beauty of its former self.
Many of the cottages which survived the 1965 tornado, and those rebuilt since then, have been remodeled or completely replaced by year-around homes. The two churches destroyed were also reconstructed - the first in 1966 and the second several months later. The dance hall rose again, as did the drive-in theater. The drive-in ministry thrives in the present day, yet the dance hall closed in 1973. The building was converted to a grocery store and operates today.
Some homes were not rebuilt, and a few abandoned foundations presently exist.
A tornado siren was installed in the 1970s to warn area residents of inclement weather, and sits directly between the two churches, at the entrance to the park where the Manitou Beach school once stood. The school house, built in 1955, was blown away and never rebuilt. The students transferred to nearby Addison Community Schools, which immediately experienced overcrowding conditions previously alleviated in 1960 with the construction of a new high school. Temporary classrooms were set up in 1965 to help with the influx of students. A new school to accommodate the growing school population was opened in 1977.
Some survivors still remain the the Manitou Beach area, while others moved away to escape the memories of April 11, 1965.