Ten years ago, on the morning of March 20, 1998, our North Hall community experienced a tragedy that would affect us for years to come. Moderate storms had passed through the area during the night, but all tornado and thunderstorm warnings had been dropped as the last of the storms rolled on to the east. Just before dawn, the air became still, Suddenly, a tornado spun up near the Dawson / Hall County line.

The twister wreaked havoc in its path all the across the northern end of Hall County. It barely registered any changes on sophisticated radars, so forecasters didn’t realize the magnitude of the twister until reports started pouring in. The twister hit Lanier Elementary School, killing a delivery driver, sped on to the Hopewell Church area, destroying houses and the church itself, and continued the destruction all the way over to North Hall Middle and High Schools.

Many lives were spared simply because it was so early in the morning. Another thirty minutes and the buses and schools would have been full of children and teachers. But still, twelve people dies that morning. Three of these deaths occurred right here on the North Hall campus.

Calvin Little
Tonja Simerly
Austin Simerly

Our community was in shock. Most of our current NHHS students were in kindergarten, first, or second grade when this tragedy occurred. Some were classmates of Austin Simerly at Mount Vernon Elementary, some attended Lanier Elementary. Still others from Wauka Mountain Elementary knew the teacher whose husband was the delivery driver killed at Lanier. Their daughter later graduated from North Hall.

But we all pulled together to help each other. We went from door to door to see who needed help. We moved families into temporary housing. We brought in counselors to help the children. And for a long time after the storm, we cleaned up debris scatted across pastures and ponds. Slowly we picked up the pieces of our lives and moved on.

Let us forever remember this event and keep in our hearts the families so tragically affected.