Derecho leaves downed trees and branches throughout Colton

COLTON, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The cleanup effort has begun in Colton, where Tuesday’s derecho left downed trees and branches scattered throughout the community.

One family impacted was the Teels, who live in Colton. They have been hard at work cleaning up following the region’s second derecho of the year.

“It hit really fast, really hard, and you could just hear the trees shredding, hitting the side of the house, it was pretty scary,” Kazzi Teel said.

With wind gusts of nearly 80 miles per hour hitting the town, the Teels are grateful they only lost branches, because during the last derecho one of their trees fell.

“Just had to get the chainsaw out and start sizing it up, and taking it out. At least it’s blowing in the right direction, out into the street and not on the house,” Shane Teel said about the cleanup effort Wednesday.

Colton Public Works Director Jerrit Pedersen says it’s a similar scene throughout town.

“We had quite a few branches and a few large trees get knocked over,” Pedersen said.

Pedersen says a parking lot near the local grain elevator was completely submerged because of the downpour. Some water also got into the local gas station and funeral home, but the damage is minimal.

“The flooding, it happened quickly, but once it quit raining, within a half-hour the water started going back down and the flooding started mitigating itself, so, it didn’t last real long but it was just a pain while it was going on,” Pedersen said.

The bright side of the whole thing? The Teels’ cat is back home after running away Sunday night.

“It’s been a community effort, everyone’s been out looking for him, so when we got the call this morning they had found him it was pretty cool,” Kazzi said.

And, just like finding the cat, cleaning up is all hands on deck.

“That’s kind of why we live in these small towns, neighbors help neighbors, and you don’t have to look far to see it,” Pedersen said.

To assist in the cleanup effort, the local landfill is offered a free debris drop-off site for the time being.

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