‘Everything is Gone’ New Jersey’s Largest Dairy Devastated by Hurricane Ida
After severe weather associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ida sweeping through the Northeast, a tornado touched down in Mullica Hills, New Jersey, devastating the state’s largest dairy farm, Wellacrest Farms.
The Eachus family owns and operates Wellacrest Farms, home to 1,400 Holsteins cows. The family says they are still trying to process what quickly unfolded and the damage left behind.
“You see this out West. You never think it’s going to be in your backyard,” says owner Marianne Eachus. “The devastation is just … everything is gone.”
The National Weather Service has confirmed five tornadoes touched down in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania Wednesday evening during the fierce thunderstorms that were triggered by the leftovers of Hurricane Ida.
Tornado Ripped Across Farm
The F4 tornado that ripped through Mullica Hills, devastated Wellacrest Farms, toppling two 80’ silos, damaging grain bins and flattening one of the farm’s free stall barns. The family reports that all but one barn was damaged from the storm.
“We can milk by using generators for power,” Karlie Eachus says. “We were able to fix all the milking parlor mechanical issues and bulk tank issues on Wednesday evening with the help of a specialist.”
Thankfully no people were hurt and while the farm is still assessing the damage and going through the rubble, at the current time they report that they have lost only three cows. However, they believe as many as 300 cows were trapped in the debris, and the family fears the number deceased will increase as they are finding more severely injured cattle.
Picking Up the Pieces
Now less than 48 hours later, they are making makeshift pens, because most of the housing has been destroyed, as well as a lot of farm equipment. Also, two of the farm’s silos filled with feed and grain have been knocked down on top of their tractors and trailers.
The farm was planning on chopping corn silage the day after the tornado hit, but their chopper got buried underneath the rubble.
“We were able to thankfully dig it out,” says owner Eric Eachus. “Our Claas representative is at the farm today to get it running today and if not, they’ll supply us with a backup one, so we can somehow put up feed for the year ahead.”
‘Heart-Wrenching’ Damage
Before the storm hit, the Eachus family went to the basement as the tornado approached. While at first, the Eachus family didn’t think it was too bad, soon enough they would discover total devastation.
“It’s just a nightmare,” Marianne reports. “It’s heart-wrenching.”
Wellacrest Farms began milking cows in 1943, bottling and delivering milk. The family values its farm’s rich history and states that a tornado won’t be the end of their story. Dairy farm families, like the Eachus have gone through tough times before, and the family reports that the last 18 months have been a struggle with COVID-19 and they share the struggle of what took place on Wednesday evening has not sunk in.
Eric says they plan to rebuild but also knows all too well the cost and time will add up quickly.
“A sheet of plywood is $120,” Eric states. “So, I can’t even fathom what the total cost to rebuild will be. But we are dedicated to continuing on.”
As the family rebuilds, the local New Jersey community has come out to help, including bringing excavators to help lift the flattened barn roof, so cows could be freed. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help in the recovery.
