DELAVAN LAKE — A disastrous storm carved a destructive path through Walworth County over Fourth of July weekend. The people of Delavan Lake are working non-stop to restore the community they love.
Snapped trees and sawed-off branches are ubiquitous in Delavan Lake after the storm which produced winds of up to 100 miles per hour.
Dan Chaplin estimates more than a dozen trees fell on his property along South Shore Road. Armed with a chainsaw, he has spent the two weeks since the storm trying to clean it all up.
"I'll be out here until I fall off my feet, just about," Chaplin said. "It will take about a month to get this cleared out and back to normal."
Gaby Cante is a clerk at The Shore, a convenience store and bar just down South Shore Road from Chaplin's property. She said the store became an oasis for Delavan Lake immediately after the storm rolled through and knocked out the town's power.
"Right after the storm hit, a lot of people just came and loaded up their cars with ice," Cante said. "We needed five generators just to run this place, but to see the community come together and work with each other was very, very nice."
The power is back on in Delavan Lake and the focus has turned to removing damaged trees as quickly and responsibly as possible.
Chaplin said it can feel like an intimidating task, but he and his neighbors are determined to clean up the damage in Delavan Lake.
"You just have to psych your mind out and keep on going," Chaplin said. "It's mind over matter."
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