Mother Nature adds insult to injury

By MARTY VAN DUYNE
For the Stafford County Sun
Published: May 14, 2008

BEREA — Rumbling thunder and torrential rain pounded tornado-damaged homes and buildings Sunday night in the southern portion of Stafford County.

Although England Run North held a massive neighborhood cleanup on Sunday afternoon, the howling winds that blew throughout the night redistributed some of the smaller debris still left in the area. Beeping smoke alarms were an eerie reminder of last week’s destructive tornado.

Many tarps nailed onto some of the homes in the subdivision were bellowing. Still others were flapping in the wind leaving damaged homes open to the elements.  Houses that did not have the benefit of tarps got a soaking from the downpour of the previous night.

Lt. Kevin Scott of Aquia Fire and Rescue said, “Most things held up throughout the night, but some tarps that weren’t as secure have come loose and those homes have possibly suffered more water damage.”

Despite the storm, contractors were back on the job first thing in the morning. One worker with Remington Renovations said, “The company purchased $12,000 worth of tarps as soon as they knew the tornado had struck the area. But by Saturday night, there were no tarps left at any of the building supply stores in the area.”

As some families still awaited insurance adjuster visits inside their homes, others were trying to deal with the fact that they would not be allowed to go back into their home.

Although England Run North subdivision took the brunt of the tornado, according to Stafford Fire and Rescue Chief Rob Brown there were 160 structures damaged by the tornado.  In addition to Cornerstone Baptist Church where the tornado first set down, damage was also incurred in Peacock Station and Wallace Farms subdivisions and on Hulls Chapel Road. As of Tuesday afternoon 38 homes were listed as unsafe and uninhabitable.

At the end of the fourth day after the EF 2 tornado struck wreaking havoc along a four-mile, 150-foot-wide stretch, Stafford County employees from the regional landfill, utilities, and parks and recreation had removed 550 tons of debris. The county has also set up two dumpsters at T. Benton Gayle Middle School for residents affected by the tornado to dispose of their debris.  Additionally, the City of Fredericksburg provided street sweepers in England Run North on Tuesday to help clear the smaller debris from the streets.

Some homes that escaped “relatively” unscathed already had roofers replacing shingles, and some that were waterlogged had huge vent tubes snaking from their house to a large commercial drying machine.

Although the emergency plan shifted from response to recovery on Sunday evening, residents were still out in the neighborhood helping to clear debris from their yards.  There was a sense of community as neighbors reached out to help those that needed a stronger back or second set of hands to clear debris. Still others just reached out to be an emotional leaning post for those trying to deal with the total destruction of their homes.

With county schools closed on Monday due to flooded roads, the children in the England Run North neighborhood had to wait an extra day before getting back into their normal routine. While many adults seemed to still be in shock, others methodically went about their chores in cleaning up after the storm. Some older children appeared to be more resilient, walking and laughing with friends and taking a moment to enjoy some hot chocolate given out by volunteers from the mobile Red Cross canteen.

As the county works to help its residents get back to pre-storm conditions, they are still providing a heavy security presence in the neighborhoods stricken by the tornado. Large generator powered security lights are turned on at night and security patrols of local sheriff’s and state troopers are on a constant patrol.

The Customer Service Center at the Berea Fire House is still offering a one-stop-shopping for repairs, permits, and utility information and other needs of the disaster victims.

The center is located at Berea Fire and Rescue Station, 20 Sebring Way (off of Litchfield Blvd.). It is almost directly behind the Falmouth Post Office on Rt. 17/Warrenton Rd.  It will be open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. throughout the recovery period. The phone number for the center is (540) 658-4221.

Marty van Duyne often contributes articles to the Stafford County Sun. Reach her at .