Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Cleanup Work Begins

Once tornadoes hit in the Center Point community near Gurdon on Memorial Day, clean up began almost immediately thereafter.

Several homes were damaged, some heavily, with one mobile home completely destroyed. In fact, it looked like an aerosol can which had exploded.

But residents of the area didn't sit around feeling sorry for themselves. They pitched in to help each other as best they could.

The tornado cut a swath down part of Sticky Road (highway 182) where the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department has been working to improve the road.

A gas main was ripped up, creating a severe hazard at the time. However, Arkla crews responded quickly and shut gas off until the main was repaired.

Trees were twisted apart as high as 15-feet off the ground.

The first home damaged belonged to the Bryan Campbell family. The roof was torn off in places while a brick out building was demolished.

Elsie Clark's home was next in line. A brick garage/apartment was destroyed by the swirling winds and a giant oak tree blasted into kindling.

The storm then bounced up a small rise tearing the roof from a barn owned by Sonny Allen. He also had an outbuilding moved from its foundation.

Allen also had a house with roof damage, along with porch springs broken apart and windows knocked out.

From there, the storm traveled to the Center Point community, where it dropped a pine tree on the home of Phillip Wingfield.

Bouncing like a ball, the tornado wreaked havoc where it touched down in the region. Along with the Weems' mobile home being destroyed, trees were split, twisted and uprooted.

At the intersection of Highway 53 and Center Point Road, a stand of corn was untouched.

According to Jim Burns, Clark County Office of Emergency Services coordinator, about $1.8 million in damage occurred because of the tornado.

However, Burns said there will be no federal funds available because of the storm damage, though state aid will be obtainable.

Structural damage (to homes, barns and other buildings) amounted to about $225,000 in damages, he said, while there was $22,500 in utility damage and $1,280,000 in timber destroyed. Other related costs, he said, will be between $10,000 and $12,000.

"The area has been declared as a state disaster," Burns said. "Those affected can apply for individual assistance and temporary housing through the Red Cross and Department of Human Services."

As far as tornadoes go, Burns said, this was an unusual one. The sun was shining most of the time the twister was wreaking havoc.

"This was very unusual," he said. "People need to remember 90 percent of the time tornadoes form in wall clouds beneath the rain free base of a storm on the southwest corner.

"Usually you get a lot of rain and hail north of a tornado."

Burns has an aerial photograph showing timber pulled in a counter clockwise manner. This, he said, proves conclusively it was a tornado and not straight-line winds.

When the tornado struck, he said, the county was under a tornado watch. However, the watch was to expire at 3 p.m., shortly after the twister hit.

He said when the storm began forming, the National Weather Service notified the Clark County Sheriff's Office, telling them there was circular motion in the clouds.

The CCSO notified people in the area, Burns said. Weather spotters watched as the storm formed into a funnel cloud, and contacted the CCSO with what they saw.

Jim Caldwell, Gurdon Street Superintendent, reported seeing a funnel cloud, as did Clark County Sheriff Troy Tucker and his deputies, who were in the Curtis area at the time.

Burns said the twister passed south of Curtis by about 150 yards, blowing down trees in the yard of Joey Summerhill. It then lifted, staying airborne across Copeland Ridge to Poseyville on the Ouachita River, where it missed a number of fishing camps.

It hit the ground shortly thereafter, cutting a path of destruction a quarter mile wide and three miles long.

The tornado lifted again, staying up until it reached Manning in Dallas County.

"There were no injuries," Burns said. "Fortunately, people were listening to their scanners and took cover."

It was also lucky, he said, the tornado touched down in an area of the county which was sparsely populated.

Frances and Bob McGill, daughter and son-in-law of Elsie Clark, said it was a big mess, but the power was quickly restored once the tornado passed.

"We've cleaned up some around the house with the help of our neighbors and friends," she said.

For the most part, Clark is leaving the damage where it occurred until the insurance adjusters come out to inspect it.

Clark was getting help from Joe Kell, who coaches the Hope Bobcat football team. He is her grandson-in-law.

Thursday afternoon, May 30, she also had help from Jacob and Jerrod Jones, Leon Hathcoat and Tommy Allen.

Eventually, Clark plans on burning the downed trees on her land, but said the brick outbuilding will definitely be rebuilt. This time, it will be a double garage and utility room.

"It was bad," she said of the storm, "but we're all right."

Wingfield was in Texas when he learned about the twister leaving a tree on his home.

He and his wife were in Glen Rose, about 75 miles southwest of Dallas, where he was performing.

"My sister-in-law called about the tornado," he said.

The roof of his home was damaged, with three rafters being broke and the roof almost down to a wall.

However, only one side of the Wingfield home was damaged by the fallen pine tree.

"It could have been a lot worse," he said. "No one was home at the time. We consider ourselves very lucky. We weren't sure what we were coming home to.

"I don't believe we could live in a better community," he continued. "The way everyone pitched in and did all they could to get others in the dry and help was very impressive."

However, one family lost everything because of the storm. The Jonathan Weems family owned the mobile home which was blown apart.

They had no insurance and are in need of all household goods. The Weems' have a two-year-old child who needs clothes, shoes and toys.

Donations can be made to Archie Weems or by calling Mary Burns, 353-5205, for instructions on how to help.