Brookville High School senior Jacob Gudorf highlights Watch the Southwestern Buckeye League Player of the Year perform against Valley View.
A look at the tornado damage suffered by Brookville High School.
Brookville Schools Facebook Page
Commentary: "We are grateful we were not in session."
The starting quarterback at fellow Southwestern Buckeye League member
Valley View (Germantown) High School, junior Cade Cradlebaugh ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-0 win over host
Brookville on October 26.
His return trip Wednesday was far more productive.
“They’re a fellow team in our league,” Cradlebaugh told
WDTN.com. “And (we’ll do) anything to help out someone in our league.”
Brookville needs a hand. So do others across southwest Ohio’s Miami Valley.
Arriving late Memorial Day evening at least 13 tornadoes ranging in strength from EF-0 to EF-4 touched down in Auglaize, Darke, Greene and Montgomery counties. The damage was catastrophic. Neighborhoods were leveled. Businesses were destroyed. Lives were changed. All within minutes.
Brookville was another.
The district’s K-12 campus suffered significant harm and the high school lost its roof. Damaged doors and safety issues prohibit students from retrieving personal belongings. The rest of the
school year is cancelled. Final exams no longer required.
Within city limits, curfews have been enacted in several neighborhoods and a generator is powering the wastewater treatment plant. Under a
State of Emergency, most city residents are without water.
Brookville, however, does have hope. And help.
Cradlebaugh and teammate Justin Bromagen haven’t been the only outside individuals inspired to assist a stunned and staggered host.
“We knew if it was the other way around,” Brogman said, “we’d want people from other communities to come help us.”
Fellow SWBL member
Bellbrook instructed community members Wednesday night to donate water for Brookville at its athletic office. By 5:30 a.m. Thursday the first bottles had been left. Eventually there was so much water donated that additional drops to Trotwood and Dayton were scheduled. Bellbrook’s basketball, football and volleyball teams will send athletes to Beavercreek on Friday to aid in the clean up.
Recent
Franklin Monroe (Pitsburg) graduate and Ashland University basketball recruit Ethan Conley drafted friends Tuesday via Twitter to help in Brookville. Milton-Union athletes have been vital and visible in helping their community. Northridge has reported and posted strong support as well.
Centerville High School's track teams - heading to Columbus for the state meet - deferred buying water in Dayton versus Central Ohio in order to make sure those at home had enough. Former
Jefferson Township (Dayton) High School and current New York Giants receiver Cody Latimer returned home from mini-camp with donations of food, toiletries, clothing and hotel rooms.
Despite heavy destruction mere miles away, Beavercreek High School still hosted the OHSAA Division I girls lacrosse state semifinals Wednesday. One of the participating schools –
Sycamore (Cincinnati) – brought a case of water per player to donate.
"Everyone is doing what they can,” Latimer told
WHIO.com. “It’s great to see the city coming together. Do what you got to do. As much as you can.”
This isn’t the first time the region has been historically hammered.
The
deadliest tornado of the famed 1974 Super Outbreak occurred 45 years ago on April 3 in
Xenia. An EF-5, the twister claimed 34 lives and injured over 1,100.
Monday’s funnels yielded one casualty.
"Disaster recovery teams and insurance adjusters are on their way to help us and WE WILL RECOVER,"
Brookville schools posted on its
Facebook page Tuesday. "PLEASE DO NOT come to the school facility. The buildings and grounds are not a safe place. We will put out information as we can. We are grateful we were not in session!!"
They're not alone.
