Melvern Lake Marina rebuilds after tornado strike with community support

OSAGE COUNTY, Kan. ( KSNT ) – A local marina is recovering with an outpouring of support from nearby communities after being ravaged by storm damage last week.

KSNT News spoke with Eric Ratzloff, owner of Melvern Lake Marina in Osage County, who said his business is continuing to pick up the pieces after severe weather on Friday, June 28, caused extensive damage to the marina. Initially, the marina was “closed indefinitely,” per a statement released on social media the day after the storm hit.

The National Weather Service ( NWS ) issued a report on social media on Saturday, June 29, stating three tornadoes were detected in northeast Kansas on the day of the storm. One of these ranked as an EF-0, hit the area around Melvern Lake with wind speeds of 85 mph.

Ratzloff said that as of Tuesday, July 2, three docks and dry storage had reopened. It came after winds knocked many of the docks loose, along with the marina store, which is currently accessible only by boat.

“The anchors for A, B, C and D docks all pulled loose from the shorelines, so all the docks came together and were thrown about a bit,” Ratzloff said. “Roof damage on several docks. All of the electrical, fuel, sewer and water lines were severed from the shore. The store is completely inoperable right now.”

Work is still taking place around the marina to re-secure anchors for the wayward docks and get the marina store back in operation. No one was injured when the storm hit the marina.

Ratzloff said he hopes to have the docks straightened out in about a week. However, the store could take weeks more before people can use it again.

While the damage to the marina is unfortunate, Ratzloff is staying positive. He said the feedback and support he’s received from locals has helped with the cleanup efforts.

“It’s been fantastic,” Ratzloff said. “Folks just show up and start picking up branches and making piles, cutting trees up and carrying them off.”

KSNT News asked Ratzloff if the amount of help he’s received is something he’d expected.

“No, but it didn’t surprise me either,” Ratzloff said. “There’s a lot of good folks around here. I like to see when people come together like that.”

You can get in touch with the Melvern Lake Marina by calling 620-256-6566 or sending an email to melvernlakemarina@yahoo.com .

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