LaReeca Rucker
The Clarion-Ledger
From the archives April 8, 2008
As black devoured the sky above her Libby Lane neighborhood in northeast Jackson, Daisy White, 50, knew she had to escape, but there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
She grabbed her 86-year-old mother, rushed her into the bathroom, placed her in the tub, and covered her with pillows, hoping to protect her from the approaching tornado.
Trapped, with no alternative but to wait out the storm, White decided that if she had to, she would give up her life for her mother. And as the noise grew louder, she waited, wondering if she would survive.
“The more I think about, it brings tears to my eyes,” said White, who stood outside the Salvation Army food station on the 5000 block of Ridgewood Road on Monday morning.
“I said if the tree fell on our house, I was going to put my body over her to shield her. I looked out the window, and I could see trees in the air. But by the grace of God, he sent those trees another way.”
While White’s house was spared, an uprooted tree lies in her yard, and the roof of her neighbor’s home was demolished.
White’s home is still without electricity, and tree limbs lined the road to it Monday as workers cleared and piled them on the roadside.
With no edible food in the refrigerator, White and her family took advantage of a meal provided by the Salvation Army.
Captain John Showers was on hand, helping employees distribute meals to those affected by the storm from a parked Salvation Army van.
“We fed 5,200 Saturday and Sunday,” Showers said. “That’s breakfast, lunch and dinner.” And they provided 550 meals, assisting the Red Cross. Three vehicles have been traveling the neighborhood distributing food, and they’ve almost used it all.
“We are calling in more food,” Showers said. “We do need help with funding. This is the slowest month with income, and this was unexpected.”
The next step will be determining how much longer the organization should offer mass feedings, and what else it can do to help with recovery efforts.
Chris Osborne, public affairs officer for the American Red Cross, said two teams of volunteers are currently driving emergency response vehicles through storm-damaged areas, providing lunch and snacks.
“They are also doing damage assessments and figuring out which homes have suffered,” he said. “When we start our casework phase, it will help speed them through the process a little more smoothly.”
Osborne said donations are always needed when disasters occur.
“They allow us to assess our clients’ needs and provide them with new items, whether it’s food or clothing,” he said. “We want to make sure that after a disaster, the people affected have shelter, food, water and clothing.
“And then, as the Red Cross help goes on, we want to be able to put them in contact with other services that can help them get their lives back on track.”
Churches are also helping with storm recovery. JC Howell, director of technical ministries at Colonial Heights Baptist Church on Northpark Drive, said church members have been cutting trees and removing limbs from yards.
“Right now, we’re organizing groups to go out the next couple of days,” he said. “We’re trying to build up teams that can sweep through an entire neighborhood and help out.”
Jerry Welch, the church’s education pastor, is in charge of the effort. Howell said many church members were affected by the storm.
“One person’s home had limbs coming through the ceiling of every room in their house,” he said. “It’s very unstable. They can’t even go inside to get clothes and stuff. The trees are so big we can’t even help them.”
Howell said church members want to show the community they care.
“We are here for them, and we are everyday people just like they are. We want them to know that if they have problems, they can come to us and come to the Lord, as we do. We want to show them our kindness, love and friendship.”
Sammy Childress, a member of Crossgates Baptist Church in Brandon, said church members helped neighbors cut trees out of houses, cover damaged areas with tarps and move furniture into storage Friday, Saturday and Sunday as part of the church’s Hands of Hope Ministry.
“This weekend was our first time to do storm disaster recovery,” he said, adding that they worked on homes in the Mill Creek community. “It’s a new ministry, and it’s really getting started good. We are just trying to do what God wants us to do.”
So are Jamie Leonard and her husband, Brian, who plan to enroll in seminary school. Right now, they are employed as captain’s assistants with the Salvation Army.
Monday, they helped provide meals to needy residents affected by the storm, even though they qualify as recipients themselves.
The couple, who live at the Reserve of Jackson, were without power Monday following the storm.
“We’ve been getting here so early and going home so late every day,” she said. “Since we’re only at home to sleep and take a shower, it would be much worse if God hadn’t blessed us with the ability to come here and work every day,” he said.