The EF-2 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 130 mph touched down about 5 a.m. east of Clark-Shawnee’s schools and continued for about 21 miles into Madison County. Much of the damage happened on roads some Clark County residents barely know: Mitchell, Ridge, Newlove, Fletcher-Chapel and Plattsburg, to name a few.
News-Sun photographer Bill Lackey, who has chronicled the Clark County community for 24 years, talked about the grace people have shown him, from the victims to the helpers.
Lackey arrived in the tornado-damaged area before daylight. With trees down, power lines and utility poles toppled and electricity out, the only lights were from cruisers, cars and a few flashlights by those whose houses had lost their roofs or worse.
“I was just amazed they would stop and talk with me about what happened that morning,” Lackey said. “People were really gracious despite all the terrible stuff that just happened to them.”
Roughly seven hours after the tornado struck, News-Sun reporter Jessica Orozco visited Beaverdale Farms near South Vienna, which sustained extensive damage. Already, more than a dozen people were helping Bill Agle, one of the co-owners who also lives there. Some of the people had equipment, others carried things by hand. People brought food and water to help the Agles and the helpers.
She interviewed Bill Agle, but the interview was frequently interrupted.
“He kept getting phone calls while we were talking,” Orozco said. “He had so many people checking in and asking if they could help.”
Orozco had covered an EF-1 tornado in another community, and she saw some help there, “but here, Clark County is more community oriented, and it showed.”
Bill Agle showed the same grace others did when he matter-of-factly said: “We’ll just bounce back and get things back to where they need to be.”
Lackey said the vastness of the damage sank in more to him on Thursday, and so did the help.
“I think the community really came out and supported the families in need,” Lackey said, noting that help came in many forms.
Businesses and individuals brought food and water to the people whose houses were hit by the tornado and to those helpers. Others just showed up on their own to aid in removing the debris. The Clark County Fairgrounds opened its showers and facilities to anyone in need as power remained out for many.
Said Lackey: “They knew members of the community were in need and tried to help any way they could.”
Jon Stewart, whose house on Mitchell Road in Springfield Twp. was destroyed by the tornado, epitomized many who had debris strewn into neighboring yards and fields.
“My main goal was to get my stuff out of their backyards. I feel bad,” he said.
A school employee in Springfield and a coach at Shawnee, Stewart was overwhelmed to see volunteers from schools, neighboring cities and counties and beyond come to help clear the house down to its foundation.
“I’ve told everybody who has asked what a good support system this has been,” Stewart said.
On Newlove Road over the weekend, Chuck and Kelly Eckart had plenty of cleanup help after a pole barn was ripped apart, damaging their house and spreading debris across their back yard.
Chuck Eckart summed up how many Clark County people felt when he said: “I’m amazed by this. It shows there’s a lot of good left in the world.”
Here’s hoping we keep that feeling going without another tornado to remind us.
Ben McLaughlin is editor of the Springfield News-Sun and has been in Clark County for more than 25 years.
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