Chadwicks Hit by a Tornado
Update Friday, May 1, 2009:
The work bee at the Chadwick’s
Sunday, April 26 accomplished a lot. More than 20 people showed up
to help in the overwhelming job of cleaning up the mess the tornado
left in minutes. Everyone found a part of the job they could do and
set to work diligently. Downed trees were cut into fire wood and
stacked, rubble was separated into burnable, tin, usable lumber,
salvaged possessions and non-burnables that were loaded into a huge
dumpster. Someone had lent a backhoe/front-end loader which Everet
used to lift heavy things and drag pieces of the mobile home
wreckage away. While many combed through debris piles for important
papers and items that could still be used, others raked clean the
area where the mobile home had been, leaving a much neater
appearance. Everet thanked everyone saying that this had gotten him
over the hump in the daunting job of cleaning up.
Marsha is doing better. She and Everet are staying with her daughter
for now and are undecided just what they will do for a home. Keep
them in your prayers as they consider whether to stay and rebuild or
move to another location.
Dumping the bathtub
Cutting trees from off the crushed swingset
Searching through the debris
The trailer frame was 15 ft up in the trees
Cutting up the frame of the mobile home
Making piles, and burning debris
Update Thursday, April 23, 2009:
The Chadwicks are still hoping to
have as many as are able to come help this Sunday, the 26th.
For those that need directions, take Highway 8 from Mena west to
the Oklahoma state line. Continue into Oklahoma 2 1/4 miles and you
will come to a gravel road to your left. Turn down this road
for 3/4 of a mile and you will come to their driveway.
Please bring your own lunch since we
are not set up to feed everybody. Thanks!
David Arbour
Update Sunday, April 19, 2009:
A few of us went up to help Everett
today with clean-up and plumbing up his surviving trailer. A
handful of people have been working up there with Everett all
week getting his surviving trailer back on its foundation and
leveled. There is so much work to be done up there! They
really need a lot of people to show up and help this next Sunday
(26th), the new scheduled work day. Bring chainsaws, cutting
torches, crowbars, wire cutters, hammers, garden and leaf rakes,
work gloves, work boots, etc. There is a lot of burnable debris
that needs to be piled up and burned. This area is dangerous
for small children right now with nails and sharp metal
protruding everywhere so please leave them at home. Everett
will be working up there about everyday this week with a few
volunteers if anyone else has the time and would like to
help. Here are some photos I took today up there. Marsha came
up to see the site where she was pulled from the debris. She is
doing much better but has to be helped when she walks. In the
one photo, Marsha is pointing out the spot were she was dug from
the debris by her son David. Note the wood stove on the right
that was on top of her. The white door in the middle is their
front door she was standing beside when the tornado hit. This
spot is close to a hundred feet from where she and the door were
before the tornado struck. It is a miracle that anyone survived
this!
David Arbour
Update Friday, Apil 17, 2009:
We talked with Everet this AM (Fri)
and he concurred that since there is a high probability of rain this
coming Sunday, the Work Day at his house will be postponed to the
next Sunday (April 26th).
Julie and Trey Shurley
Update Wednesday, April 15, 2009:
Everett has said that those that
want to help clean up and do repairs can come up to his
place Sunday. If you have them, bring chainsaws, hammer,
nails, crow bars, and he could use someone to bring a
cutting torch.
David Arbour
De Queen, AR
Update Tuesday, April 14, 2009:
I was over there Sabbath and
yesterday to see if we could salvage anything. We have found a
lot of their clothes, and they are being washed by several
families. Most of Marsha's clothes are buried under debris and
cannot be recovered at this time. On Sabbath, we salvaged a
couple hundred books or so because we knew it was going to rain
on Sunday.
The second mobile home received
minor damage but appears that it can be made livable. It was
shifted off the foundation blocks, most of the skirting is gone
or ruined, and the plumbing is broken, but it has not fallen to
the ground. The interior appears fine for the most part, and
the china in the cabinet even looks okay. The front and back
porches received severe damage - roofs gone and back porch
shifted quite a bit.
There is also a cottage/schoolroom
that has a closet but no plumbing (only propane). It sustained
very minor roof damage but nothing that appeared to allow any
rain to enter.
The camping trailer was moved off
it's blocks and had one window broken out but it is protected by
the front awning. The covered porch no longer has a roof or
supports.
The pickup has the back window
broken out as well as the passenger window but was not covered
by any debris.
The garage is demolished, and the
garden fence has trees on it. The small green house is
uncovered.
All the trees have been removed from
the front yards of the good mobile home and cottage and off the
cottage roof.
The immediate needs appear to be to
get the good mobile home back in alignment and blocked up and to
get the plumbing, propane, and electric hooked back up.
Ardnal Nash told me last night that
he thought his son, Duane, had equipment to help as he used to
set up mobile homes in the past. I have not confirmed that with
Duane. If you have any experience doing this sort of thing or
know anyone who does and can act quickly or give advice quickly,
let me know.
Anyone who would like to help get
the Chadwick's property back together, please call me at
479-243-2218, 479-234-3707, or 479-394-7599. I have contact
numbers for Everett, Ardnal, Duane, the Swopes, and a few others
who are helping.
The Chadwicks do not have
property insurance.
Thanks,
Posted Monday, April 13, 2009:
Everett & Marsha Chadwick took a
direct hit by a tornado Thursday night April 9. Their place was
completely destroyed. They lost everything. Andy suffered serious
internal injuries and was airlifted to the Children's Hospital in
Little Rock. He has been released now, but may still need further
medical tests. Marsha had a wood stove land on top of her and
suffered 3 broken ribs a deflated lung and back injuries. She was
airlifted to Fort Smith were she has had a tube placed in her lung
to keep it inflated. The rest of the kids were taken to Talihina
hospital were all have now been released. Their injuries were not
as serious. Everett was at work in Mena when it happen so he
escaped injury. They lost everything. Their two trailors were
totally destroyed as were their vehicles. Their woods were
leveled. Their son David who lived next door lost his house and
vehicles as well but his family is ok. It took them 2 1/2 hours to
clear the trees out of the roads before they could get an ambulance
in to them. 600 homes in the town of Mena were destroyed! Please
have special prayer for them!
