Columbia survives its first tornado — then throws a concert

My Dear Columbia,

The big story this week, as we all know, requires no reporting. The wind did the telling for us. Nonetheless, on Thursday afternoon, the 20th of August, a tornado rampaged through our borough, leaving damage in its wake. 

The Columbia Borough Fire Department confirms this to be the first tornado ever recorded in our history. So, was it an anomaly, or, as certain circles believe, the new normal? Climate change? Time (and weather) will tell, as the saying goes.

The particulars, as verified by the National Weather Service, are these: an EF-1 tornado, with winds of some 100 miles per hour, tore through Columbia. It ripped roofs from buildings, collapsed sections of a brick wall, felled outbuildings, and uprooted trees along its brief stay.

Among the notable casualties: the old Keystone firehouse on 4th Street, which lost a portion of its second-story brick wall, and the neighboring office building, which was partially de-roofed. Numerous smaller structures and residences suffered damage as well. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, except possibly to one's composure. 

Between cell phones and security cameras, residents may have produced more dramatic footage in two minutes than many similar towns manage in a decade. 

But residents did not simply pick up cellphones, dear reader. They also picked up brooms and cleaned up. And Friday evening, a Maxwell concert in the park proceeded exactly as scheduled. The town, after being assaulted, seemed to reply to the weather: "Is that all you've got?" 

Columbians, no matter what, are a resilient breed, proving that the one thing stronger than a tornado is a town that refuses to let it have the last word.

Until next we meet,

Your Faithful Correspondent

Cassandra  


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