Reflections of Struggle, Images of Hope
Two years have blown by since one of the toughest days our communities in Lee County, Alabama experienced. It is still torn and marred from grief although so many have recovered. Layer the pandemic that hit hard about this time last year, it has been a challenging two-year season.
I still remember where I was when I received the news. I was in Anniston, Alabama at National Guard drill and just hearing only cursory news a tornado had touched down. Once released from duty, I hurried back home to Opelika. It was dark by the time I arrived and eager for a quick meal stopped at Little Caesars in Opelika to grab a pizza. Crowded in the waiting area were lots of people and I thought, unusual. Then I heard a customer say why they were there. They were buying pizzas for all the clergy, first responders, and families gathered at the hospital. At that moment, it became real. I rushed to East Alabama Medical Center to check on my fellow clergy and see how I might help, still in my military uniform. It did not take long to see that being in uniform was not going to be helpful. I listened to some of the tragic accounts and absorbed the painful cries of families each time the coroner came to confirm a death. Stunned and my mind reeling, I left to go home and pray and prepare to help the next day.
As with any disaster, it took several hours, and in our case a few days, to get a real sense of what happened, and reports were flooding in. The number of fatalities was staggering. On March 4th, it was cold and we were still in shock. Me, a colleague from ARM, Allison who would later become our most long-term disaster case manager, and two members from my church at Auburn UMC, traveled to Watoola UMC to help secure their metal roof on their fellowship hall. The sanctuary next to the church was destroyed, the entire roof ripped off the historic wood-frame church. The next few days, we gathered up chain saws and teams focusing our efforts on Smiths Station as Beauregard was still off-limits. I was able to help with damage assessments in the County Road 319 area. Some of the people I spoke with that day would later be the ones we would assist in rebuilding months later.
Eventually, ARM would partner with MEND which consisted of several different organizations partnered in the work of long-term recovery. Our staff received training from the United Methodist Church to conduct disaster case management and help people navigate through FEMA, the Small Business Association, and all the crazy red tape. We wanted to help them recover in their own time, at their own pace, and to heal from the trauma of two tornadoes, 23 fatalities and over 250 destroyed homes. The support groups through EAMC were so critical and provided a place to share, grieve, and grow.
Fast forward to today and complicated by a pandemic, so much has happened….and we are still working. Our team has 9 more families we are still working with to complete their repairs. Repairs slowed because of COVID-19 effects. We have walked with over 100 families in their recovery. Homes have been rebuilt, hundreds more repaired, crushed vehicles replaced, and the earth and trees also ripped apart, like families, are slowly healing. The scars will always remind us of this day.
What continually amazes me is the resiliency of people and how we all came together as neighbors. I developed so many new friends and found a deep love for others that I pray never goes away. Despite all we have faced, we have grown stronger, more connected, and have a shared experience. Grief still lingers and may never fully go away especially for those who lost loved ones so young. Yet, we can know that our Father is watching us, our neighbors surround us, and that we are never alone.
I write this as a tribute to all the survivors and especially those that lost friends and loved ones. We see you and we love you. #neverforget #leecountystrong #beauregardstrong #Godiswithusinthestorm
I found a poem that spoke to me and I hope it might for you:
https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/climb-every-mountain
Lisa and your friends with Alabama Rural Ministry
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