Volunteers blessed to help after tornadoes; UM group clears trees, protects homes

One of the tornados was an EF3 for most of its path from Ulmer to Bowman. At its widest portion, it was 500 yards wide.

The National Weather Service said it had the power of an EF4 when it touched down in a pine tree plantation, snapping of all the big trees five feet off the ground and decimating the forest.

The tornado hit a rural area and was constantly touching down and picking up off the ground throughout its path.

When it touched down just outside of Branchville on Freedom Road, it was an EF3. The storm damaged at least 13 homes in the rural community located between Branchville and Rowesville.

“By the grace of God, no one was seriously injured, though many very big trees were violently thrown to the ground with the majority of them falling across driveways and near homes,” S.C. United Methodist Volunteers In Mission Early Response Teams Coordinator Billy Robinson said.

A few trees did partially fall onto some homes, causing roof damage and breaking windows.

The following day, additional violent storms rocked the state, hindering aid to the affected areas.

Orangeburg County Emergency Services Director Billy Staley contacted the S.C. United Methodist Volunteers In Mission Early Response Teams for help aiding the families affected.

On Thursday, the group responded first with assessment teams, who made contact with the survivors and assessed their needs, prayed for them and offered scripture aids of comfort and care.

On Friday and Saturday, ERT disaster response teams responded with 21 volunteers from various portions of South Carolina, two disaster response trailers and two skid steers to take on the phenomenal task of cutting up the big trees with chainsaws at 11 homes and piling the debris in wood lines.

The group also tarped seven homes and structures that had damaged roofs and windows to prevent any further weather damage.

The volunteers started by cutting a big pine tree away from the side and roofline of a home and placed tarps over three broken windows for a grateful family that was unable to do the task themselves due to health concerns.

The volunteers went from house to house in the same vicinity and across the road, saving homeowners tens of thousands of dollars and making their homes accessible and livable again.

In several locations, the volunteers also cut out access so the power company could restore power to the homes. On Seacrest Lane, The volunteers found some people who drove from Charleston to help their family members.

“We worked side by side with them, cutting fallen trees and debris away and tarping damaged roofs,” Robinson said.

The last home they worked at was a unique one, where a big oak tree had fallen over and into a shed on Freedom Road.

The big tree was completely covering the shed, making access to it impossible and very dangerous due to partial collapse of the building.

Using a skid steer and chainsaws, volunteers very methodically and carefully removed the big tree from the partially destroyed shed. They were able to save the large majority of its contents, including 300 elephant collectibles, educational items for kids and various other items.

The salvaged items were loaded onto a trailer and hauled to the family’s home. A tarp was placed over the severely damaged shed to help salvage half of it and protect its remaining contents.

The homeowners kept stating that they were so grateful and had never witnessed or even heard of a group of people who would come out in the midst of a disaster to voluntarily help complete strangers in need.

One man teared up as he stated, “Y’all work so hard and somehow keep a smile on your face at all times.”

Robinson replied, “We are so blessed and find great joy, hope, fulfillment, excitement and much love in being God’s hands and feet to others in need.

“It is truly our honor and privilege to represent the love of Jesus in such caring ways. We become so much better people and are so blessed ourselves when we heed God’s calling to be our brother and sister’s keeper. We are the church being ‘the church,’ as Jesus Christ calls us to be!

“Anything less would be unacceptable.”