FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — In the small town of Oakfield things are quiet as they are most summer nights.
But in 1996, the F5 tornado that destroyed their community left lasting scars.
Not just on the buildings, but also on the people that were left in its wake.
Gary Collien was the Oakfield fire chief at the time and says he was outside the town looking for tornadoes when he came upon the one that would eventually hit Oakfield.
"We were out spotting and we happened to actually see the touchdown a couple miles west of Oakfield," Collien said.
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He says that trying to reenter the town after the tornado had passed through was a challenge.
"When we came back into town I could only get as far as church and main street by the Oakfield elevator," Collien said. "Because of all the trees and power lines."
Collien says seeing what has happened in Menasha just recently reminds him of seeing that immense damage that happened in Oakfield all of those years ago.
"It looked very similar to what we saw here," Collien said. "Bare trees, poles snapped off and wires on the ground."
Oakfield resident Sharon Kollman says what she remembers vividly is the effort by the community the second it was safe to go outside.
"Almost immediately there were people," Kollman said. "Checking houses to see if everyone was okay."
For Betty Lange the tornado damaged her home as well.
But she says her husband said something she hasn't forgotten. Even after all these years.
"After the tornado he went up the steps from the basement," Lange said. "And he turned around and put his hand on my shoulder and he said it doesn't matter whats gone. We are here and that is whats important."
While some people in Oakfield say things in Menasha may seem bleak right now, almost every person I had the oppuruntiy to speak with expressed confidence that things will get better. It is just going to take some time.
Just as Oakfield did all of those years ago back in 1996.
