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Tornado Damages Covenant Church in Siren, Wisconsin
SIREN, WI (June 19, 2001) - A tornado that hit a small town in northwest Wisconsin has damaged Siren Covenant Church, as well as several homes and properties of some church members. At least three people died and 14 others were injured, according to Associated
Press reports.
The home of one member family in town suffered major damage and another family whose home was in the path of the tornado had its garage and the vehicle inside destroyed, said Janet Swenson, the wife of Siren Covenant pastor Mark Swenson. Another member's business also was reportedly damaged, she said. A mobile home owned by that family was severely damaged, but miraculously the couple inside of the structure escaped unharmed.
Shortly before the tornado struck, it was discovered that the tornado alarm that alerts the town was not functioning - it had been struck by lightning. According to local news reports, Police Chief Dean Roland, who attends Siren Covenant Church and directs the choir, personally alerted townspeople, advising them to take shelter immediately. Many believe his quick response helped save lives and prevent injuries.
The Swensons currently live in Frederic, a town located a few miles from Siren. They plan on moving into a new home in Siren at the end of June. Mark Swenson was in the basement of the new house, working on electrical systems, when the tornado touched down around 8:20 p.m. The new home wasn't touched, but the incident scared the pastor.
"He (Mark) was thinking that this house wasn't even done and it was going to get hit," said Janet Swenson, who works in advertising for the Inter-County Cooperative Publishing Association, a newspaper located in Frederic. "My daughter's boyfriend and their family watched their trees topple over, and the trees fell all around their cars," Swenson said. "Their garage foundation was moved and shingles fell off the garage. Their neighbors house was totally demolished."
Before reaching Siren, the tornado touched down briefly just outside Grantsburg, Wisconsin, home of Calvary Covenant Church. According to Christine McConnell, daughter of pastor Doug McConnell, a home across from their residence was destroyed and a Calvary Covenant member reported damage to his farmhouse located just outside of Siren, which is located 12 miles from Grantsburg.
The church was featured on a local television station during morning programming, the pastor's wife said, noting that visitors cannot enter town without proper authorization due to the tornado damage.
Siren is a resort town of 900 people located 65 miles northeast of the Twin Cities. The church, which was founded in 1911, has an average attendance of 60 to 70 people. The congregation was scheduled to have an installation service Sunday for Mark Swenson, who recently accepted a call as senior pastor after serving as an interim pastor since last fall.
More information will be posted as it becomes available.
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