Silver Lining For Brainerd Resort Damaged By Storms
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A severe storm swept through the Brainerd Lakes Area one month ago.
It knocked out power for thousands in the area, and did extensive damage to homes and businesses.
It took nearly a week before power was restored for some homeowners, and cleanup continues.
"We had 35 trees down in this storm. Nine of them went on the house," resident Zach Turcotte said.
The landscape has definitely changed at Turcotte's parents' house on Ojibwe Road. The storm that rolled through left them without power for six days, and left them without a piece of family history.
"The sad part was my grandpa planted all the pine trees along the road, and this land has been in the family since '52," Turcotte said. "So it's a lot of history just all a sudden gone."
And like so many others, the cleanup for Turcotte's family has been expensive, and patience is required.
"The guys are so behind with roofs, they're looking at spring before the roof can be fixed," Turcotte said.
Madden's on Gull Lake resort was forced to shut down for two weeks after the storm, during their busiest time of the summer.
"I would classify it as challenging," Madden's Vice President Ben Thuringer said. "It really presented some challenges with ... the cleanup."
But in some ways the storm may have been a blessing. The part of Madden's that was hit the hardest also happens to be one of the oldest parts of the resort. That's the lodging on Wilson Bay, where strong winds ripped off rooftops. It is the only part of the resort that remains closed. Ownership has decided to completely remodel it.
"Really, we're going to be opening up next spring with a new resort," Thuringer said.
Things are pretty much back to normal at Madden's beyond Wilson Bay. The resort was able to weather the storm and salvage its summer.
"We've just had resounding support from our guests. It's been a lot of fun," Thuringer said.
Madden's is open from early April through October.
Officials say they will use the winter months to update Wilson Bay, along with their spa and wedding area.
