DOOR COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) – A Door County landmark reopened to visitors on Wednesday after sustaining damage during the weekend storms.
Officials estimate that Cana Island lost about 30 percent of its trees in the storm, creating a big mess for crews to clean up over the last three days. They also lost power on the island for an extended period of time.
On Wednesday, crews had removed most of the trees and other debris opening up an opportunity to welcome visitors back to the island. An official tells Local 5 News they had about 520 visitors on Wednesday which is pretty typical for a weekday in August.
Those who work and volunteer on the island said it’s amazing to welcome visitors back.
“It is one of the greatest feelings on earth,” said Steve Cox, a volunteer who drives people to and from the island on his tractor. “When I got the call that the lighthouse was going to be open, I was so happy. It was miraculous.”
“It was refreshing, it’s nice to see that people are still interested in coming out here,” said Tyson Wickman, who is the visitor services specialist for the island.
Both Wickman and Cox were on the island on Saturday when the storm began to move through. They said it moved fast, and they were just able to get the last batch of visitors off the island before it hit.
People took shelter in their cars and in a small garage that houses Cox’s tractor.
“I had never seen trees crack halfway down, and I’d never heard the pop, pop, pop,” Cox said.
“I went through Hurricane Bo,b so it just brought back memories of that out in Maine,” Wickman said.
Both men said there were multiple rounds to the storm. When it passed, everybody who had been on the island still remained stranded in the parking lot because trees blocked the roads leading out.
Damage on the island from the storm (courtesy: Door County Maritime Museum)
The same spot after cleanup crews had finished their work (courtesy: Door County Maritime Museum)
“And then something really amazing happened, and that was the support of the immediate community,” Cox said. “Bringing us cold water, dry towels.”
Cox said their main concern throughout all of this was keeping their visitors safe and as calm as possible given the circumstances.
It took about three days for crews to clear the island to the point where they could welcome back visitors safely. They also needed to wait until the power turned back on before they could reopen.
Green Bay Police K9s head off into retirement in final ‘Unleashed’ appearance at Joannes Stadium
“Cana Island is a special place, it’s a 156-year-old active lighthouse,” said Hal Wilson with the Door County Maritime Museum. “One of the few you can climb and walk around the outside. People come from all over the world to come here. To turn them away is a shame, especially when they come from so far away. We really wanted to make it available, get the families out, get the kids laughing, and make it a fun place again.”
Courtesy Tyson Wickman
The Door County Maritime Museum and Door County operate and maintain Cana Island. They have set up a GoFundMe to recoup some of the cleanup costs and the revenue they missed out on when they had to close down for three days.
For those interested in contributing to the fundraiser, it can be found here.
For the time being, visitors who come out to the island won’t be allowed to walk in the woods and on some of the trails because there’s still some cleanup to do there.
The Door County Maritime Museum and Tyson Wickman provided the pictures and the cellphone video seen in this story.
