Neighbors to the rescue

Remember the beach and grassy area in front of Lieber Haven Marina Resort at Obstruction Pass? Well, much of it disappeared last week.

Extremely high tides plus sustained heavy winds, including a never-to-be-forgotten gust that exceeded 100 miles per hour, covered the beach and grassy area with water and huge logs, some of them weighing thousands of pounds. The water extended all the way up to the resort’s beach front cabins, flooding several basements. The storm took out breakwaters, blew a 44-foot schooner onto its side, carried a boat that had been tied up at Obstruction Island all the way to Obstruction Pass, and bounced a 118-foot boat around in the water like a little toy.

Many of the private homes facing the beach at Obstruction Pass also reported flooded basements, damaged docks and fences, and yards covered with logs and driftwood,

The huge gust hit at 1:45 a.m. on Jan. 2, while Lieber Haven owner Dave Baxter was out on the dock, checking the boats. Baxter is a knowledgeable and veteran seaman who has managed to survive virtually every imaginable storm, even being lost at sea. Yet Baxter admitted that there was a moment during the tornado-like gust when he didn’t know if he would make it safely back to shore.

The storm created a mess in front of the resort, with logs and trash everywhere. But that’s when the word started to circulate in the neighborhood that the Baxters needed help, and the next day friends, neighbors, resort guests, and even some people they didn’t know were on the property, picking up trash, cutting huge logs with their chain saws and moving them away from the cabins and walking paths, and righting the schooner that had been blown onto its side.

The volunteer helpers filled more than 50 trash bags. Some of the logs that they moved weighed as much as 3,000 pounds. And while the local folks continued with their labors, Irene O’Neill came by with plenty of food.

Dave and Kitty Baxter were overwhelmed and deeply appreciative of the support, but they weren’t entirely surprised, because they have always considered Orcas to be a place filled with kind and generous people who truly care about their neighbors, and are always there for people in need.

Two of Lieber Haven’s cabins were occupied with paying guests when the worst of the storm hit. Dave Baxter wondered if the guests would demand their money back, or a discount, because of the commotion accompanying the storm and its aftermath. But when one of the guests approached Baxter the next morning, “He wanted to know if he should pay extra because of the entertainment.” Baxter said no. The show was on the house.

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