United Methodists respond to tornado damages
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A Web-only photo by Art McClanahan Homes in Woodward, Iowa, show the effects of a Nov. 12 tornado.
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Homes
in Woodward, Iowa, show the effects of a Nov. 12 tornado. Tornadoes
struck Woodward and neighboring Stratford, killing at least one person.
United Methodist churches in the area responded to the damages with
outreach efforts. A Web-only photo by Art McClanahan. Photo #W05-171.
Accompanies UMNS story #651. 11/18/05 |
Nov. 18, 2005
By United Methodist News Service*
United Methodists in parts of the South and Midwest are providing
relief and other support in their communities after a series of
tornadoes swept through their areas in early and mid-November.
On Nov. 16 alone, some 35 tornadoes struck parts of Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee, leaving at least two people dead.
In Madisonville, Ky., where about 120 homes were destroyed and many
more damaged, local churches were working together to help survivors.
Disaster News Network reported that both Parkview United Methodist
Church and First United Methodist Church were serving meals to anyone in
need and offering prayer meetings to those who ask.
“We have a lot of people in the community who are still in a state of
shock,” said the Rev. Shane Browning, pastor of Parkview United
Methodist Church and associate pastor at First United Methodist Church.
“To see their community wiped away in a matter of seconds is a bit
overwhelming.”
The storms were the latest in a wave that swept through the region.
On Nov. 6, a tornado left 23 dead in the Evansville, Ind., area. Epworth
United Methodist Church in Newburgh, Ind., turned its fellowship hall
into a relief center and provided meals, water and clothes to people in
affected neighborhoods.
Six days later, tornadoes caused one death in Iowa and destroyed
homes. In Woodward, as many as five families lost their homes and others
will require extensive rebuilding, according to the Rev. Ben
Carter-Allen, pastor of Woodward United Methodist Church. His church and
others were reaching out to help survivors.
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A Web-only photo by Art McClanahan A tornado shattered the windows of this home in Stratford, Iowa.
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A
Nov. 12 tornado left this neighborhood in Stratford, Iowa, in ruins.
Neighboring Woodward also was struck by a tornado that day, and one
person was killed. United Methodist churches joined others in the area
in providing outreach to their communities. A Web-only photo by Art
McClanahan. Photo #W05-172. Accompanies UMNS story #651. 11/18/05 |
Homes in a several square block swath near the Calvary United Methodist Church, in Stratford, Iowa, were also devastated.
Tornadoes spawned by the Nov. 16 storm front storms caused the deaths of a teenager in Indianapolis and a man in Benton, Ky.
Dozens of homes in northwest Tennessee were destroyed. The staff at
First United Methodist Church in Paris rode out the storm in a lower
level of the building.
“We could see the funnel cloud approaching from the west, about
one-quarter mile away from our position,” the Rev. Joe Geary wrote in an
e-mail to the Memphis Annual (regional) Conference communicator. “It
was a frightening experience.”
After the storms, First Church and others began responding to needs
in their communities. The impact included major damage to three homes of
First Church members.
In western Kentucky, Benton First United Methodist Church was serving
as a clearinghouse for volunteer efforts. Nearby Mt. Carmel United
Methodist Church was being used as a staging area and command center by
emergency response teams from the surrounding area.
Several homes around the church were destroyed and many more suffered
extensive damage, according to the Rev. Bill Lawson, pastor. Several
people were hospitalized, and many residents were being asked to
evacuate to nearby shelters.
“With all the bewildering damage immediately
surrounding the church, the church itself sustained very little
damage,” Lawson reported. “The steeple is gone, a kitchen window was
blown in, and the road sign was blown out.”
Prayers would be appreciated, he said. “We are very grateful for the
lives that were spared in homes that suffered such complete
destruction.”
*Communicators Cathy Farmer, Memphis Annual (regional) Conference,
and Art McClanahan, Iowa Conference, contributed information for this
report.
News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org
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Resource
Iowa Annual Conference
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