Help Us Document History: The Derecho of 2025

In the early hours of Saturday morning, June 21st, something unprecedented happened in our corner of northern Minnesota. What meteorologists are calling a derecho transformed our familiar landscape in a matter of minutes.

Uprooted and topped trees in Greenwood Cemetery. Photo by E. Thabes, taken Monday, June 23.

As you read this, we hope you and your family are safe, that you have access to essential services and resources, and that you are on the communal road to recovery.

Tonight (June 24), many of our neighbors are still without power. Ancient trees that stood sentinel over our neighborhoods for generations lie toppled. The gentle curves of Lake Boulevard look foreign without their canopy. Businesses that anchor our downtown have changed. As Mayor Jorge Prince observed, "certain parts of it aren't ever going to be the same again."

Yet amid this dramatic change, we witnessed something that will never change: the heart of our community.

The Story Beyond the Storm

While the winds were unprecedented, so too was our response. Within hours, the Red Cross had established operations at the Sanford Center. Volunteers appeared with chainsaws and helping hands. Neighbors checked on neighbors. Water and supplies flowed to those who needed them most. In a county where summer temperatures climbed into the 80s while thousands sat without air conditioning, we saw the best of who we are.

This is the complete story that needs to be told—not just the destruction, but the resilience. Not just what we lost, but how we responded. Not just the changed landscape but also the unchanged character of our people.

Our Responsibility as Historians

The Beltrami County Historical Society has spent decades collecting and preserving the stories that define our region. We've documented the lumber era, the settlement years, the evolution of our communities, and the everyday lives of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Now we face a defining moment in our own time.

This derecho represents more than a weather event. It's a chapter in our ongoing story that future generations will need to understand not just as meteorological history, but as human history. How did our community prepare? How did we respond? What did we learn about ourselves in those crucial hours and days?

The stories emerging from this storm deserve the same careful preservation we give to century-old photographs and handwritten letters from pioneers. They are living history, and they are happening right now.

How You Can Help Preserve This Chapter

We know that many of you are still dealing with cleanup, power outages, and the overwhelming work of recovery. Please, take care of yourselves and your families first. Your safety and well-being are what matter most.

But when you're ready—whether today, next week, or next month—we hope you'll consider sharing your piece of this historic moment with us.

We're looking for:

• Photographs that capture both the scope of damage and the spirit of recovery. The toppled trees, yes, but also the volunteers, the neighbors helping neighbors, the community coming together.

• Personal accounts of where you were when the storm hit, what you experienced, and how your family or neighborhood responded. These don't need to be polished essays—even voice recordings on your phone capture the authenticity of the moment.

• Ephemera from these days: emergency notices, volunteer flyers, Red Cross materials, utility company updates, or any other documentation of how our community organized its response.

• Artifacts that tell the story: Please note that we cannot accept physical debris or storm artifacts at this time, but we may be able to do so in the future. For now, please photograph any significant items and include details about what they are and where they came from.

Simple Ways to Share

We've made sharing as easy as possible, recognizing that many of you are dealing with power and connectivity challenges:

• Upload directly to our documentation folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1X5pOCyWlZBpxRmzXa0DS7laEm27VsuQ8?usp=sharing (no password needed)

• Email us: depot@Beltramihistory.org (put "storm" in the subject line)

• Text photos: 320-428-3358

• Drop off in person: The History Center, 130 Minnesota Ave SW, Bemidji

Looking Forward, Preserving Now

Our trees will grow back, though it will take decades for them to reach their former majesty. Our buildings will be repaired or rebuilt. The debris will be cleared, the power restored, and the routines of daily life resumed.

But the stories of these days—the fear and courage, the loss and hope, the individual acts of kindness and the collective strength of community—will only be preserved if we capture them now, while they're fresh, while the emotions are real, and while the details are clear.

Future historians will want to know: What was it like to live through the derecho of 2025? How did the people of Beltrami County respond when their world changed in a single night? What did this community look like when it was tested?

We have the chance to answer those questions fully and honestly. We can document what happened to us and who we proved ourselves to be.

A Community Effort

This isn't just a project for Historical Society members or history enthusiasts. It's a community effort to preserve a community story. Whether you're a lifelong resident or a recent arrival, whether you're 8 or 80, whether you consider yourself a storyteller or just someone who lived through something extraordinary, your perspective matters.

The teenager who filmed the winds from their bedroom window has captured something just as valuable as the emergency manager's official reports. The grandmother who kept notes about which neighbors needed help is documenting community care in real time. The business owner surveys damage and records economic history as it unfolds. Every voice contributes to the complete picture of this moment in our shared story.

Thank You

Thank you to everyone who has already reached out offering to help with this documentation effort. To those still focused on recovery, we understand, and we're here when you're ready. To our volunteers who are managing their own storm damage while thinking about preserving history for others, your dedication to our mission, even in difficult circumstances, exemplifies the community spirit we're working to document.

This storm changed our landscape, but it also revealed something always true: we are a community that takes care of each other, preserves what matters, and faces challenges together. Let's make sure that's part of the permanent record.