The 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee (IPC) at the CAM-PLEX Multi-Event Facilities canceled its Tuesday night program due to thunderstorms that brought heavy rains and lightning. Shortly before 6 p.m. MT on August 6, campers were evacuated from tents and moved inside buildings for shelter from the storm, which produced strong wind gusts. Some sheltered inside vehicles. 

At this time, there have been no reports of injury due to the storm. There have been reports of damage to campsites, including flooding in low-lying areas. 

In early reports, the area dubbed “International Village” sustained the most damage. Reports indicate that at least 40 percent of the international club campsites were wiped out, largely due to flooding. 

“One of our biggest concerns at this moment is the international village,” said Ron Whitehead, IPC executive director. “There are more than a hundred countries represented here — Brazil, Ghana, Germany, Pakistan, South Korea, and so many more, and they don’t have the resources that others do. The affected clubs will need to replace tents, sleeping bags, and other equipment.”

The evening program stage also sustained damage. The storm moved the stage’s large LED screen by ten feet; winds also moved the main left and right stage pillars. Stage management reports that the crew quickly prepped ahead of the inclement weather so the impact from the storm was kept to a minimum.

“While there will be an engineering review, thankfully the damage was not as severe as it could have been,” shared Whitehead.

While the campsite evacuations were a major undertaking, first responders acted swiftly, shared Whitehead, and CAM-PLEX staff exhibited professionalism and care for the Pathfinders as they quickly worked to open buildings across the facilities. And immediately after the storm cleared out of the area, the Gillette Police Department and Campbell County Road & Bridge adjusted the CAM-PLEX traffic flow quickly so clubs could exit the premises to get supplies needed for the night. “This exemplary assistance is another example of why this is a five star community,” Whitehead said. 

Whitehead also shared that in the first hour after the storms passed that calls poured in from area churches, offering displaced campers places to spend the night. The community support continued to roll in. 

For example: one church offered to house up to 600 individuals. A Gillette resident drove up to a CAM-PLEX entrance with a full carload of sleeping bags, blankets, and other camping items.

“While it was frightening for some, I’ve gotten many reports of how people’s attitudes, as we sheltered during the storm, were so positive,” continued Whitehead. “There were reports of many random acts of kindness — during the storm and after.”

Whitehead and his team are convinced that the kind spirit evidenced by so many will not diminish. He added, “At the end of the storm there was a double rainbow in the sky, which reminds us to have hope after the storm.”