Editorial: A community rallies after deadly tornado rips through Bollinger County

Pastor Monnie Jones leads a prayer vigil on Wednesday, April 5 in Marble Hill.

Megan Burke ~ Southeast Missourian

We're accustomed to severe weather in the Midwest. It's not uncommon for tornado watches and warnings to be issued. We get text alerts and push notifications on our phones. Watch weather reports on television and online. And head to the basement when necessary. If we're not careful, we can almost become numb to the process.

We've also witnessed disasters such as the tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri, in 2011. And more recently in places such as Arkansas and Mississippi. But on Wednesday morning, April 5, an EF2 tornado ravaged parts of Bollinger County in Southeast Missouri with peak wind speed of 130 miles per hour. The twister was reported to be 150 yards wide at its largest point, traveling 22.3 miles. Five people died from the storm with others injured. The fallen ranged in age from 16 to 62, with several coming from the same family.

This one feels different. It's close to home. And it's impacting our friends and neighbors.

While the human loss is the most significant part of last week's events, there's also the financial toll the storm has taken on a community. More than 12 homes were destroyed in the Glen Allen and Grassy areas, on top of the other damage. Gov. Mike Parson and state Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder toured the area Wednesday afternoon. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley also visited with people on the ground Wednesday evening and joined community members at a prayer vigil.

On his way to Southeast Missouri, Parson spoke with President Joe Biden. State officials are analyzing the damage. They are in the process of determining what resources will be available, but Parson noted because it's a rural area there could be challenges in meeting the financial threshold that would release certain aid.

During his remarks Wednesday, Parson talked about how small communities are good about coming together — especially during challenging times.

"Small town Missouri, you'll find out that everybody will start coming together at a very early time to help one another out," Parson said.

The governor was correct. That evening, a prayer vigil was held, and churches started to come together to help those in need. Not-for-profits also put things in motion to provide relief.

The Southeast Missourian reported Friday, April 7, on several efforts underway. The United Way of Southeast Missouri started a Bollinger County Recovery Fund. Several locations in Bollinger County are collecting donations of nonperishable food and supplies. GoFundMe accounts have been setup for the Bollinger County residents killed or injured. And several other efforts are also underway. You can read about these in a story that appeared in the Weekend edition of the Southeast Missourian. To all those volunteering or donating, thank you. The relief efforts will be important not only now, but in the days and weeks to come as this community rebuilds.

As with so many tragic events, there are moments of inspiration and kindness. One such moment was shared with us last week.

BJ Wiesler posted on social media that he and Shawn Kinder, the principal of Woodland High School in Bollinger County, were making barbecue pork sandwiches at the command center headquarters Wednesday for the first responders as they came in from the search and rescue. Kinder's son, Talon Kinder, was eager to help. He looked at one of the other volunteers and said, "We gotta go faster Ms. Braswell. They're eatin' em all." Wiesler said the young man was eager to pitch in and help throughout the day. "It just made me smile on a gloomy day," Wiesler said.

It's a time of mourning in Bollinger County. But we're reminded of this verse from Isaiah 61:3: "To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory."

We join others in mourning the loss of life in Bollinger County. As for the community, the people of Bollinger County are resilient. And we're confident others from Southeast Missouri and beyond will step up and walk alongside them as they rebuild in the days and weeks to come. As our friends in the community like to say, they are and will remain #BollingerCountyStrong.

God bless each of you.