RUSSEL COUNTY, Kan. (KAKE) - A man has died and three others were injured after high winds struck Wilson Lake Wednesday night.

Many people were expecting a nice day celebrating the Fourth of July at the lake on Wednesday. Now the campgrounds are littered with debris.

Throughout Wilson Lake, there are overturned RVs and campers due to the 70 miles per hour winds last night. Many people said they believed the winds were much stronger down by the water.

"A little scary. Camper was rocking a couple times pretty good. Dog water was spilling over. We were pretty fortunate. There were of course, others that were not," said camper Micah Sanderson.

The storm took the live of 64-year-old Christopher Montoya and injured at least three other people. 

 
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"It's devastating. It's hard to see that. Makes you thankful but also your heart hurt for everyone that's going through that," Sanderson said.

 

Shannon Stauth and his family have been camping here consistently for years. Now they are picking up the pieces. Their 3-year-old camper was at Wilson Lake on Wednesday night but thankfully the family wasn't.

"You just have to stay positive. You can get down about it, you can cry, you can pout. It is what it is. I mean look, we're still alive. We have great friends behind us supporting us and so, whatever we need, they're gonna be here for us. So thank God for them and thank God we weren't in this mess," said Shannon Strauth, whose camper was destroyed during the storm.

His 36-foot camper was more than $38,000 new but that's not what his family is focusing on. 

"But at this point, the money doesn't matter. At least we're all safe," he said.

Chase Wiggins' boat was hit by a camper that rolled into his campsite three times in the middle of the storm.

"Rolled into my boat and then one of my buddy's pickup was here. It hit it. Totaled the front end of it. And there are several more that are rolled. Wasn't good. Guarantee that," said Wiggins.