LOGAN COUNTY — Less than a week after a deadly tornado destroyed homes and businesses, students in the Indian Lake School District went back to class Wednesday.
>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Logan County school district cancels classes today, tomorrow after last week’s tornado
The busy school drop-off line is a familiar sight for parents, but now for Tim Allen.
“The bus won’t come down our street yet,” he said. “I told my daughter this morning. I think if anything it’s more just to try to get back to some normalcy.”
He usually doesn’t sit in the drop-off line, but damage from the tornado has his neighborhood a mess.
>> PHOTOS: Strong tornadoes, severe storms bring destruction across Miami Valley
“Few houses past me got pretty wiped out. It was bad,” he said.
He’s one of the many parents taking their kids back to school for the first time since that tornado hit.
“It’s been a little bit of a whirlwind. I’ll admit that,” said Indian Lake Schools Superintendent Rob Underwood. “We want to give our kids some sense of normalcy.”
To prepare for Wednesday, staff went through some training and counseling. The district will also have mental health professionals on hand to give any additional help students may need.
“I think we’re going to be in really good shape to support our students,” Underwood said.
That’s what they have done since the moment the storm hit. First serving as a shelter, then a volunteer hub and even a donation center.
“It’s a testament of the way this community pulls together,” Underwood said.
It’s what they call the “lake effect”― the unique way the community steps up for each other when needed.
“There’s a lot of good out there in people,” Allen said.
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