PERRY CO. CLEANING UP TORNADO'S DESTRUCTION

PERRYVILLE -- Volunteers with the Southeast Missouri Red Cross are in Perryville today, helping victims of Friday's tornado rebuild their lives.

Red Cross workers will be at the Perry County Hospital from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily to provide hot meals, clothing, medicine, household items, lodging and other essentials to those who need them.

Mary Burton, assistance coordinator, said Red Cross workers have been in Perry County since just after the tornado. A door-to-door assessment revealed 12 homes were destroyed, 21 sustained major damage and 53 sustained minor damage.

"The best way you can support relief efforts is to donate money," she said. "It isn't cost effective to pay for storage, and the Red Cross helps people in the most cost effective way.

"We use local vendors and write out purchase orders tailored to exactly what people's needs are."

Utility service has been restored in most of the county, Sheriff Gary Schaaf said. The area around Highway E in Allen's Landing was the last to get electricity.

No serious injuries were reported, although a few people cut themselves on debris and others fell down stairs.

"If you have that many homes destroyed and nobody gets seriously hurt, that's lucky," Schaaf said.

He warned potential sightseers to stay away from the area to prevent injury to themselves and delays in repair work.