Mother Nature Strikes: Hudson Residents Clean Up After Derecho

Community Unites in Hudson After Severe Weather

Residents of Hudson, South Dakota, have faced one of the most challenging experiences in recent memory. More than 300 people live in this small town, and they were among the hardest hit by a powerful storm that swept through on the night of July 28. The event, believed to be a derecho, left a trail of destruction across the community, prompting an immediate and heartfelt response from those affected.

On Tuesday morning, July 29, the town came together in a coordinated effort to clear roads, remove fallen trees, and tackle debris. Dozens of residents, along with friends, family members, and neighbors from nearby towns, joined forces to restore some sense of normalcy to their community. This collective action highlighted the resilience and spirit of the people in Hudson.

Alyssa Stoffel, a local resident, shared her experience of the storm. A tree fell just inches away from her home, and she described the impact as “like a train was going by.” Her husband, Andrew, who grew up in Hudson, said he had never seen anything like it before. Stoffel emphasized that while the storm was emotionally overwhelming, the community's efforts to clean up showed their caring nature.

Margene Vander Wilt and her husband moved to Hudson three years ago, expecting a peaceful retirement. However, the storm shattered that expectation. She expressed disbelief at the damage to her small town, which was littered with fallen trees and property damage. One of the most distressing aspects for her was the two large branches that had landed on her home.

Amanda Franks and her mother, Kathy Cook, traveled from their acreage southwest of Hudson to visit the first home Cook lived in when she moved to the area. They found their own property also affected, with a powerline fallen on a family member’s vehicle and numerous trees down. Cook admitted she was “pretty devastated” by the sight, while Franks described the situation as “overwhelming” and “just absolutely insane.”

At the bottling facility for the local business Chief’s Bloody Mary Mix, employee Chris Woodley humorously noted that the storm had given them a “new skylight” after the roof collapsed into the bottling room. The damage was extensive, with insulation and dust covering much of the equipment. Woodley expressed his disappointment, stating that the storm had devastated the community and that it was “awful.”

Woodley compared the storm to similar events last year in Canton, South Dakota, and Hawarden, Iowa, which included flash floods. The impact of the storm extended beyond residential areas, affecting local construction crews working on main roads. Tristan Coulson, part of Slowey Construction in Yankton, mentioned that the storm disrupted their plans to finish setting gravel on Monday. Now, they must pump out large puddles, dry the ground, and repack the road, which could take several days or even a week.

About 12 miles northwest of Hudson, Jason Pierson’s cattle farm, affiliated with Bar-K Cattle, also suffered damage. Two cement silos fell, a steel silo was heavily dented, and the shop and storage shed had its walls bent and blown apart. Pierson, who was in his basement during the storm, described the experience as terrifying, noting that if the silo had been fully filled with water, it would have tipped over.

Workers from Inwood, Iowa, arrived to assist with the cleanup on Pierson’s property. Despite the damage, Pierson remained optimistic, stating that everything was fixable over time.

At Pierson’s neighbor Jimmy Dumas’ acreage, an old barn and several trees were knocked down. Dumas, who was inside his home during the storm, described the experience as “crazy,” acknowledging the power of Mother Nature.

The aftermath of the storm has brought both challenges and a renewed sense of community in Hudson. As residents work together to rebuild and recover, the strength of their collective spirit shines through.