DNR officials try to keep area campgrounds safe

Campers say the Sunday morning storm that left a Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School chemistry teacher dead moved through the south campsite of Lake Macbride fast.

“The winds picked up, branches were cracking,” Marsha Gallup said. Gallup and her family had spent the weekend camping on the south end of the lake in what's considered the primitive campgrounds, just a few sites over from where Jennifer Lewis, 32, was camping with her sister and friends.

Gallup said when the winds picked up, people started running for their cars to ride out the storm.

DNR officials say they're not sure if wind or a lightning strike caused a tree to fall on Lewis' tent.

“There are a lot of things you could look at,” said Joe Wilkinson information officer with the DNR. “At the same time, you can't pick out every tree branch or possible thing that could go wrong.”

Wilkinson said park officials are on site at the campgrounds seven days a week. Just before Memorial Day, they run through a list of safety checks which includes looking for major hazards like a rotting limb or fallen tree. He said the park also relies on campers and park users to point out any safety hazards.

“We can make it as safe as we can,” Wilkinson said, “but you can only go so far.”

In this case, Wilkinson said the tree was just beyond the fence line on a neighboring private property, but nothing indicated the tree might be a danger to campers.

Wilkinson said there are solid concrete structures for people to go to for shelter at both the north and south campsites. Still, he encourages anyone spending time at the campsite this summer to think about a safety plan if severe weather hits.