Tornado survivors pick up, continue with lives

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Two days after a tornado heaved their mobile home several dozen feet, violently tossing Ismael and Gloria Rodriguez against the walls, they stood calmly in the mild afternoon sun, scanning the damage to their property.

There was a vacant space where their home used to be.

But their focus, at least Tuesday afternoon, wasn't on picking up the pieces or whether or not the disaster would qualify for federal disaster assistance. Their aim was to carrying on with their lives and their day-to-day tasks.

A few miles away at the once-affluent Lake of the Hills community, Betty Hastings compared stories with friends while standing in front of what used to be her living room.

Because they were doing home improvements on a pay-as-you-go basis, much of Hastings' house was uninsured.

But like the Rodriguezes, Hastings hasn't been paying much attention to what government agencies might help her financially or how, especially given the death of Billy Hoover, 12, killed as a result of the tornado and buried Tuesday.

Counting blessings

It seems that, at least for now, the Bollinger County tornado survivors are more interested in counting their blessings than their losses.

"Right now, money is not an issue," Hastings said. "In two weeks, come and see me and it might be a different story."

Meanwhile, in Jefferson City, the wheels of disaster assistance have been turning since a separate series of tornadoes hit the Southeast Missouri region April 24. Financial help -- regardless of whether the victims are thinking about it or not -- may be on the way.

Gov. Bob Holden on Tuesday asked President George Bush to declare 19 Missouri counties, including Bollinger, federal disaster areas eligible for individual assistance. An individual assistance disaster declaration could make low-interest U.S. Small Business Administration loans available to people who suffered losses from the storm. Individual and family grants for those who qualify without homeowners insurance may also be available for some temporary housing assistance and personal property losses related to the storm.

But for now, the Rodriguezes are in a state of limbo, living with a friend.

"We don't even know where to begin," Gloria said. "You've got to clean it all out, get another house trailer and start over, that's all I know. We're just going to take it one day at a time and pray that another nightmare doesn't show up again. I'm just grateful our kids are well and that we are."

Government employees don't know when a decision will be made regarding federal assistance.

"It's hard to put a time frame on it; I wouldn't even venture to guess," said Chuck May of the state's disaster mitigations assistance branch. "They're crunching numbers and reviewing what they've got."

May said the decision is not based on monetary damage alone. It is based on the impact of the disaster to the area.

"When we put together our reports, we take into account not only the dollar amount, but the percentage of elderly, the income level, unemployment ... Ten thousand dollars is a lot different in the rural areas than it is in Kansas City so you have to take everything into account."

As far as help, Hastings has more confidence in her Bollinger County neighbors than in her government.

"It will be interesting to see what happens," she said. "We're going to have a lot of rubbish that we won't be able to get rid of. I've never dealt with the government on this type of thing. We're going to see what the average joe gets from the government."

Damages to publicly owned utilities and the cost for debris removal are expected to exceed $4 million, Holden said.

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127