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Show r"" ' -' " r ' , SUBURBAN Grand Rapids real-dent real-dent demonstrates where he and his family found shelter in the southwest corner of his basement after finally hearing a tornado warning on his radio only two minutes before the twister struck at 7:13 p.m. (fcda Photo) A tornado dipped out of a murky, mur-ky, yellow-green sky at supper-time supper-time on April 3, smashing the Michigan communities of Hud-sonville, Hud-sonville, Standale and Comstock Park near Grand Rapids. It did tremendous damage. Eighteen were lulled and 94 hospitalized by the twister, which also destroyed 329 homes and damaged 172 along with 396 business and farm buildings. But it also taught a dramatic lesson on what an alert and weU-manned weU-manned local civil defense can do to save lives in the first critical crit-ical hours before outside help can arrive. Within 24 hours, some 1,000 CD volunteers were on the job, headed by Tom Walsh, Kent County CD director. THE DETROIT NEWS, In its coverage of the tornado said: "The efficiency of the CD volunteers volun-teers was immediately apparent. "Kent County's (Grand Rapids) CD organization was at work before the tornado struct Its men . and equipment were at the scene in Standale and Comstock Com-stock Park within 30 minutes after the twister left, and those men were there furstest with ' the mostest.' "Within 20 minutes, 17 ambulances and 22 station wagons were at the scenes of the devastation ... In addition, addi-tion, more than 100 blood donors were on their way to Grand Rapids hospitals to await the arrival of the wounded a plan prearranged prear-ranged by Dr. Winthrop Prothro, Grand Rapids health officer who heads the CD medical committee. "By 9 p.m., less than two hours after the storm, emergency emergen-cy housing for 500 had been arranged ar-ranged at downtown hotels and school gymnasiums by Rupert Kettle, regional director of the State Welfare Department. He also Is CD's housing and relief chief. "WHEN SURVIVORS returned the next day to begin salvage operations, they were amazed to fliid more than 200 pieces of heavy equipment had been assembled assem-bled by Jack Barnes, head of a Grand Rapids construction firm, who is CD's chief of demolition and clearance." |