Disasters At CP??

Have there ever been any toranados that have touched down at cp? I live here in chicago and a while back There were some really bad storms that cut across the states. A reported said that a twister touched down right by an ohio Park called Cedar point. The never said if any damage was done or not. When i visited a few weeks later some employee told me that they had to close down for a day to clean up. Is any of that true, or have there ever been any damage to the park from "Mother Nature"

I remember a tornado touching down at Cedar Point around 1977. It destroyed the Frontiertown CPLE Railroad station, did some damage to the Mine Ride, and uprooted several trees over the island, and the area where the Gemini is now located.

-------------
Tim Howe
Lansing, Michigan
CP every year, 1974-1999.

Is that why they chose that particular spot fo Gemini? Did they figure since the tornado destroyed that area, they would put it there instead of replacing the scenery?

In "Queen of American Watering Places" it says that on July 4th, 1969, a storm hit CP that uprooted trees and killed someone as well. The storm also flooded the roads leading out of the park, and the Main Midway. It goes on to say that guests were stranded overnight because of the high water and were sleeping in the Breakers lobby. This is probably the same storm that spawned the tornado the hit Lakewood park in Lakewood Ohio.

-------------
"CP is very good value!" -- A RCT Guest at CP

1 or 2 years ago there was a waterspot out on Lake Erie during an operating day at CP-if that counts

-------------
Brian
Greensburg PA
Hometown parks: Kennywood, Cedar Point!
89 days until the real "Millennium"

They didn't choose that spot for the Gemini because of the '77 tornado, but I read that it kept the hassle of land clearing to a minimum!

-------------
Cedar Point Photography
http://www.schmidty.com/cp

I worked on Power Tower the summer of '98. I worked a split shift this particular day. (8:30-noon, 3-8 i believe) My uncle had come to point that day with his youth group from his church. He and I went to the Boathouse for lunch. Right after we ordered our meal he looked out the window since everybody was starting to crowd around the windows, and pointed out a water spout to me. We had to move into the kitchen because the foods people called to the boathouse and told them to get the people to the kitchen and away from the windows since the water spout was heading right towards us. After the first one went away (which came really close) 2 others formed, one in the bay behind Cedars and the other cut across the causeway. That day I personally saw 3 water spouts. I can't confirm any others, but I know I saw those three. I don't believe they caused any damaged, but they freaked the crap out of everybody in the park. Some of the rides closed down during this storm (Power Tower included) and once they passed, the park stayed open the remainder of the day.

I remember a few of years ago my friends showed me a video of them at Cedar Point when a tornado struck somewhere near the park. They all had to go into the basement of the Hotel (not sure if it was the Breakers or not)and they also showed the storm. The next day they drove by where it hit and you could see that a bunch of houses where destoyed. I'm not sure if this counts or not but I know it got really bad on the Island.

-------------
Millennium+Force=Sweetest Roller Coaster on the Planet

I think that would bee a really scarry place to be if I was in that situation. Think about it, your stuck on an island with Huge steel & wooden structures all around you. If One of those was to break apart it would be like huge giant daggers.

I'd be more worried about the strucures on the midway. Coasters don't block a whole lot of wind.
[For instance, towers usually do pretty well in high winds.]

Forgive me if I don't remember every detail of this (I was only four), but I was at the park the day that the tornado hit in 1977. My family and some friends were camped next to each other in Camper Village. When we headed back to the campground that night, we found out about the tornado and couldn't enter the area. This was because so many power lines had been knocked down. My father and the other father's family went and got some of our things and we were treated to a free room in Hotel Breakers. It was a very memorable trip, obviously. Our friend's camper got turned upside down, but ours wasn't even touched.

In an added note, I can remember that this was my first year at the park with The Witch's Wheel. I thought that maybe the fast turning of the ride had caused the tornado (not really, but I can remember saying that as a stupid joke at the time.)

I remember, just last year, a tornado touched down, first as a water spout over lake erie, but then making its way onto land. It ripped the top off Magnum (about 35') and an unfortunate girl, right in the tornado's path, had such long hair that her hair got sucked up by the winds and ripped her face RIGHT OFF! hahahah - this didn't happen, but it sounds like a good rumor. ;)

I remember my friend saying something about the water sprouts last year. He said people were running under the coasters! Why, I don't know, but he said he was scared and hid in one of the bathrooms!(which was the closest thing at that time)!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"ANOTHER RANDOM THOUGHT OF A NEWT"

For video of the spouts in '98, search the news section here for "spout" in "all time."

-------------
Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point