More devastating tornadoes down south

We met Len and Nettie Hiebert of Grunthal, Manitoba, on our second tour of duty with MDS, at Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, in 2009. We immediately “bonded” and they have remained close friends ever since. As a matter of fact, when they learned John was building a sun room onto the back of our house in 2009, they came and helped for a week putting up the roof. It was like our own little MDS project at home!!

In recent years, in addition to volunteering with the Senior RV Program with the actual rebuilding, Len and Nettie have also undertaken the responsibility of receiving, servicing and inventorying all of the MDS vehicles and tool trailers at the large storage facility at Columbus, Mississippi, when the projects close. More recently, they have also been needed to HAUL some of the tool trailers and office trailers from the projects to the storage facility. It’s a good thing they enjoy traveling, as they put on a tremendous amount of miles in one season.

When we learned of the horrific tornadoes which ripped through Alabama, Mississippi and the other states recently, we were wondering whether Len and Nettie were still down there finishing up. A quick e-mail the day after the news of the tornadoes brought the following response: “We are in the midst of things down here and our guardian Angels will be getting overtime pay for sure…We have been scrambling to get the vehicles and equipment serviced and ready to respond to the devastation around us. Macon is half hour south, Birmingham is ninety minutes east, Aberdeen is twenty minutes north. Tuscaloosa is forty five minutes south east. We have strong winds, some thunder and lightning, the power went off around 4 pm and came back on during the night We expect some people tonight yet [from MDS Head Office in Pennsylvania] and by early tomorrow they will be off to investigate as to how to respond to this crisis.” We were very relieved to hear that they were safe, as well as those they have come to know and love as family down there from their yearly visits.

The next day, the following e-mail arrived from them: “The stories are coming over local media, a kindergarten class wiped out ---a person driving home when the vehicle is lifted up and found maybe seven miles away with occupant dead…” We are hoping the survivor stories will also start to come through. When we see the pictures of these places around us we know that we have truly been protected.”

We are so thankful that our friends are safe, and almost wish we could be there to help them with the initial contact and clean-up. However, the word is they have many agencies and assistance from neighbouring areas that the tornadoes did not demolish, and if MDS requires volunteers, we would be notified. Our Senior RV crews are not involved in the initial clean-up, but rather are called in quite a time afterwards for rebuilding and repairing homes for those citizens who “fall through the cracks” – the elderly and the poor who don’t have insurance. The MDS field reps are already in the area of the new tornadoes assessing where its assistance will be best provided by regular MDS volunteers. They will be on the front lines dealing with those in crisis, hearing many of the stories of the people who have lost everything.

John is in the process of getting together a local MDS response team which will be ready for action in the event of a disaster in our area. It is in the beginning stages. He has met with members of the Ministerial Association to inform them of the plans and provided the with sign-up forms for volunteers. There are no special requirements for volunteers, just be ready, willing and able to assist should the need arise. The “purpose” is: (1) to assist citizens in Prince Albert area in cleaning up debris after an initial disaster and (2) to make temporary repairs that will help secure structures and prevent secondary damage after an initial disaster (intended to address wind damage to buildings and trees and flooding damage to buildings). We were astonished to hear about the severe wind damage that was done in Prince Albert area several years ago. It certainly refuted the idea that tornadoes do not occur in our area. The consensus is that sooner or later, there will be some natural disaster which will require such a team to be ready to go.

Please call John at 763-8180 in the event you would be willing to be a part of a local MDS response team.