Grand Lake Marina Damaged, Owner Injured In Storm

Craig Day, News On 6

BERNICE, Oklahoma --  Wednesday night's strong winds caused extensive damage to a marina on Grand Lake. In a matter of minutes, storm victims were left with months of hard work and heartache.

At the Southwinds Marina, the wind was too strong, hit too fast, and was just too much.

"It was real sudden, totally unexpected," said David Byrley, a volunteer helping clean up storm damage.

"There goes Memorial Day weekend," said Wayne Long, owner of a recreational vehicle damaged in the storm.

Two and a half weeks before the holiday and the slips are in shambles. Several boats are overturned, and the marina is out of commission. Volunteers are helping with clean up.

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"We'll get it cleaned up and start over, and it can all be replaced," Byrley said.

But it will be tough with 70 slips and the dry storage building destroyed.

"For some reason, I don't know why. Instead of staying with the trailer I just went home," said Long.

Wayne Long is glad he did after the 70-plus mph winds toppled his camper.

"I'll just take what I get, play the hand that's dealt me and go right on," he said.

Every single one of the trailers at the Southwinds RV Park has at least some damage.

In addition to all of the damage, that storm could have killed the marina's owner. The wind picked him up, threw him over the building and slammed into the ground 100 yards away. 

"He said it just happened that quick," said Wayne Long, RV owner. "Come out of nowhere; picked him up and slung him across the road."

The marina's owner is very sore, but what hurts worse is the entire summer will be lost. Although the marina is insured, it doesn't cover the loss of what would amount to half of the business' annual revenue.

It will take weeks to pick up all of the debris and much longer before things even come close to being the same again.

But at least no one was seriously injured.

"Very thankful," said volunteer David Byrley. "There's people that go through this kind of stuff that aren't as lucky."

It's damage no one ever wants to see, but especially this close to what had promised to be an exciting summer season on Grand Lake.

To make matters worse, the marina had just finished repairing extensive damage from the historic February snowstorms, and now this storm hit.