Five Years Already

The Haysville Times – May 3, 2004 – 1:25 PM
By Barb Walters
Five years ago on May 3 the people of Haysville were putting away the dinner dishes and helping children on with their pajamas. The air was still and the sky an eerie yellow –green. Suddenly, a storm ripped through the heart of the city, taking lives, destroying homes, and forever changing the landscape.
The debris has been cleared, wounds have healed and homes have been rebuilt. Nevertheless scars will forever remain on the hearts of those touched by the storm’s fury. Historically significant buildings were wiped out as well as precious mementos, photos and heirlooms.
At the time of the 1999 tornado, Sedgwick County Commissioner Tim Norton was Mayor of Haysville. Before the devastation occurred, Norton recalled, “Like any other good Kansas man, I was standing out on my front steps with the family in the basement.” As the weather got worse, however, he joined his family downstairs. “I remember the lights going out and of feeling that something really bad had happened. Then the phone rang and the city dispatcher said, ‘Oh, Mayor, the Total station is gone.’ I put on a jacket and got in my Blazer to go to the City Building and the rest, as they say, is history.” Continue reading “Five Years Already”