South Carolina United Methodist Volunteers In Mission’s (UMVIM) Disaster / Early Response Team (ERT) responded to Harvest, Alabama from May 2-6, 2011 to help with the extremely devastating aftermath of a rash of deadly tornados that killed at least 337 people across seven states including 246 in Alabama and injured many more. This was the worst storm / tornado outbreak to hit Alabama since 1932 and the second deadliest ever in the United States. One of the massive tornados was the largest type rated on the Enhanced Fajita Scale of an EF5, which carries wind speeds in excess of 200-miles-per-hour. Several tornados came near and even through Harvest, AL including this EF5 which stayed on the ground for 132-miles from Mississippi all the way through the state of Alabama causing massive devastation and destroying lives all along it’s brutal path. We laid eyewitness to the devastation and destroyed lifestyles the tornados created but we also were witnesses to the overwhelming out pouring of love and care from countless volunteers, who poured in to help with recovery efforts bringing everything from chainsaws and tarps for damaged roofs to water and baby food. Tens of thousands of people were without power for almost a week due to the EF5 Tornado totally decimating a one-mile long section of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s main transmission grid, which included three massive rows of side-by-side huge transmission towers that lay on the ground crumbled up like a junkyard of steel inner twined with power cables. It was a really weird site to ride through the near by city of Huntsville, AL and see the large majority of power out. Businesses were shut down and Motorist had come accustomed to following four-way-stop rules at every intersection since there were not enough police officers to be at each one. Late in the day of May 2 power started being restored in Harvest and by the next day (one week after the tornados) the majority of the city had power on a limited bases.

SC UMVIM ERT Disaster Response to North Carolina

April 21-23, 2011 ten members of South Carolina United Methodist Volunteers In Mission’s Disaster Response Team (Early Response Team – ERT) responded to the call of help to aid people in need due to the devastating tornadoes that hit across North Carolina on April 21, 2011 that killed 24 people and was the worst single day outbreak of tornadoes in NC history. Thursday, April 21 we arrived in Rowland, NC and were amazed at the amount of destruction a tornado had ravaged on the town. We placed a tarp on one damaged roof and preformed chainsaw work at three homes clearing trees from roofs, driveways and yards. Spending the night at a near-by Baptist Missions Camp.

Friday and Saturday (April 22 & 23) we were directed on to Fayetteville, NC and were witnessed to a massive amount of destruction from an EF3 tornado that some stated was an EF4 during part of it’s devastating path that left many homes destroyed, several people injured and one death in Fayetteville including placing a mini-van in the forks of a tree. Friday it rained all day on us but our dedicated volunteers continued to work right through the cool pouring rain being “God’s Hands & Feet” to hurting and devastated people who were in dire need of love, compassion and having hope restored along with a sense of normalcy. Friday – Saturday we placed tarps on three roofs and preformed chainsaw work at seven homes.

There were a lot of amazing stories of survival told over and over by the survivors who were spared by the grace of God. There was the story of two 4’x6’ construction company signs that were found near Raleigh 49 & 54 miles from there original location. The scene of a mini-van sitting in the forks of a huge branch that obviously had broken off from a huge oak tree when the van landed in it and then on top of two other vehicles was and amazing site to behold as well as splinters of wood stuck through roofs and homes.

We saw an awful lot of devastation and also a wonderful amount of good through volunteers being God's "Hands & Feet" to so many hurting people. Volunteers that included Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterians, Mennonites, Sanitarian’s Purse, and various faith based originations, plus Red Cross and various civic organizations. It is always such a wonderful and up-lifting feeling to see how so many good hearted people can come together for a common cause when people are in such need. You can see the best of people as they give their all to help others in need and you see the worst of people as you see people try to take advantage of people who are already in deep emotional distress. 

Jesus was ever present in many people and events; from us having a tire and rim on one of our disaster response trailers destroyed on I-95 and team members stopping to help us to a father and son going on their first out of state mission together to various people of all walks of life working together in perfect harmony to neighbors coming together as never before to a mother laying herself on her children to protect them from harm during the tornado to God’s protective hand of safety over all relief and recovery workers.

We were a well-formed team that represented the State of South Carolina well with volunteer members from all across the state; including Dennis Brantley from Hollywood, Casey Canoge of Summerville, Frank Gramling & Nathan Welch of Simpsonville, Frank Seeby & Jim Caulder of Lexington, Sam & Beth Caskey of Columbia, Team Leader Billy Robinson & Jacob Robinson of North.

Billy Robinson - SC UMVIM Disaster Coordinator 803-539-8429

On Saturday, April 4, 2009 SC state leaders of United Methodist Volunteers In Mission (UMVIM) Early Response Team (ERT) gathered at the home of Mike Hutchins near Lexington to stock and put the final touches on four brand new disaster trailers, which we have been hard at work on for several months retrofitting and obtaining a wide variety of disaster equipment for since receiving a $62,000 grant through a Belin Trust Fund. We discussed how we will now be better able to respond having the new trailers and the significance of getting the trailers finalized on the day before Palm Sunday - which is the day one year ago that 17 tornadoes struck our state and we responded on ERT missions that lasted for a solid week. At the end of the day all four trailers were sent out to their new homes strategically located across the state to await a call for action. Little did we know that in only one weeks time that call would come and would use up the large majority of tarps and supplies from all four trailers. "God's perfect timing!"
Good Friday evening, April 10, 2009 a series of seven tornadoes struck the state of South Carolina from the Lake Hartwell near Anderson to the city of Abbeville to the Beech Island area of Aiken County. A call for assistance came at 11:30am on Saturday, April 11, from SC Emergency Management Agency to Billy Robinson who is the SC-UMVIM-ERT / Disaster Coordinator (after a call had been made through the SC Conference Disaster Coordinator - Rev. George Olive). The request asked specifically for ERTs to the city of Abbeville, which had dire need of help placing tarps on damaged roofs and some chainsaw work. Damage assessments were still coming in from other areas of the state and we would be up-dated as they received further request.
Abbeville: We responded two ERT Teams including two of our brand new ERT Trailers and helped tarp 13 structures with the aid of various volunteer fire departments and Grace United Methodist Rev. Eddie Taylor's direction and help. Abbeville Fire Department was in command. They along with other volunteer fire departments in the area had already done most of the ERT type of cutting needed with chainsaws. We were very moved at the large amount of storm destruction we witnessed. One man described how they knew nothing until the tornado was hitting their home. "It was already dark outside, the wind and rain got very strong and then the entire house started vibrating and shaking, my wife started screaming, we headed for a nearby closet, I looked up and the roof was coming off, so instead of the closet we dove into the bathtub as the last portion of our roof was being blown away. After the tornado, we went outside and saw that two of our neighbor's homes also had their roofs blown off and a mobile home blown over and destroyed. Thankfully no one was injured. We are all so blessed! Usually you simply take it all for granted until something like this happens. Miraculously, I had bought an Easter suit last week and it was left in a closet untouched. I will be wearing it to Easter Service at church tomorrow!"
Anderson area of the state near Lake Hartwell was hit very hard including the home area of K.C. Carter (UMVIM-ERT Up-State Coordinator) who had several huge trees fall from his yard onto neighbors home. K.C. and several others ran chainsaws all day cutting out egress routes and doing some tarping of roofs. Another team lead Anderson District Disaster Coordinator Danny Thompson roofed a home they had already been working on.
Aiken County officials got their damage assessments in Saturday afternoon and stated they could use teams on Sunday.

Easter Sunday: "The ox was in the ditch", and Easter Sunday found many SC United Methodist Volunteers In Mission Early Response Team personnel giving up their traditional Easter services and family gatherings to respond to the aid of many devastated people in need of help after the April 10 South Carolina tornadoes. They truly became God's hands and feet and reinforced the UMVIM motto of "Christian Love In Action!" Weather Service stated that the tornado that hit Abbeville was classified as an F2 and the one that hit the Beech Island area of Aiken County was an F3!
Abbeville: Three ERTs put tarps on 12 structures. We worked closely with members of various fire departments and several churches including Grace UMC, Sharon UMC, and Abbeville Baptist. We provided the supervision for the teams who all worked very well together showing the love of Christ to devastated people. Our hearts were strongly moved and touched by the hurt and pain the people were expressing. Our prayers and caring efforts of love were left with them along with scripture booklets and care packages. Grace UMC provided us with a good evening meal. All ERT work for this area is finished, now will begin the rebuild phase. Local officials are to handle any additional needs.
Anderson: Two ERTs put tarps on two homes and did a lot of chainsaw work including approximately 5 homes. A five-person team from Buncombe Street UMC was lead by K.C. Carter and an Anderson District Team of four personnel was lead by Danny Thompson. All ERT type of work was finished for this area.
Aiken County - Beach Island: One team from Lexington UMC put tarps on 3 structures and did chainsaw work at 5 homes. Eight and one half miles of Highway 278 in Aiken County near Beach Island received major damage in many areas. Two deaths were blamed on the F3 tornado. Incident Command for the region was set up at the Beech Island Fire Department. We witnessed massive damage in Aiken County including the destruction of the Silver Bluff Fire Department with two fire trucks - one of which was brand new having be put into service two weeks earlier. The following days all ERT focus would be on Aiken County.

Aiken County - Monday through Wednesday: All focus was on Aiken County as other areas of the state had tarps in place for impending Monday afternoon storms. Baptist, Methodist, Mennonites, Salvation Army, Red Cross, fire department personnel and various other volunteers worked side by side in complete harmony and unison to get the needed aid to the people who so desperately needed it. We were able to get tarps on several additional homes before the torrential rain set in on Monday.
Tuesday and Wednesday we focused on placing tarps on more roofs and a lot of chainsaw work. There were a massive amount of trees simply blown and ripped to pieces winding up on / in people's homes, vehicles, storage sheds, driveways, etc. No trees were spared in the tornados swath and the shear force and power it took to break some of these massive trees like match sticks and literally explode homes left you in awe and was hard to conceive. We completed 9 more large chainsaw jobs and placed tarps on 5 more roofs by the end of the day on Wednesday at which time the remaining needs were going to be met by other volunteers and local agencies.

Conclusion / Summary:
Physically: In all UMVIM ERTs placed tarps on 40 roofs statewide and did 29 jobs requiring chainsaw work to get trees / limbs off homes, clear access routes and roadways. We put in over 500 hours of volunteer aid, used over $500 in fuel, $2000 in tarps and $2000 in various other supplies.
Spiritually: We physically and spiritually touched the lives of hundreds of people all across our state who were in dire need of help along with the emergency responders and other volunteers we worked side by side with. In return they also touched our lives and helped to show us just how fragile life is. As we showed others the love of Jesus Christ by being His "Hands and Feet", God showed us the power, love and fulfillment that come through doing his good will. He showed us what faith, hope and love is all about as we were attempting to show the same virtues to the tornado victims through our actions, scripture, hugs, prayers and comfort.
Looking at our response through constructive criticism, we have identified several areas in which we can better our responses including equipment needs and a better notification process. It has been a very good overall response on our behalf and all faith based organizations that we had the privilege of working together with, in order to have a uniform and coordinated God inspired response in time crisis. Volunteers are still needed in all faith-based organizations and now is the time to prepare for the next disaster.
Our hearts and prayers go out to all of those affected by the tornados. Please continue to pray for these people who have been devastated by these storms and also for our teams safety and well being as well as we being able to fully allow God to use us as He sees best fit to do. We were able to witness to many people through our actions, care and concern including the passing out of Bible Promise Books, talking with them, listening to them and praying with them - or in other words: "The Church being The Church as God has called us to be!"

God Bless!
Billy Robinson SC-UMVIM-ERT / Disaster Coordinator
P.O. Box 905; 8804 North Road
North, SC 29112
803-539-8429

PS. On a personal note I would like to say a special thank you to several ERT members who went above and beyond to make our God inspired missions so successful. They include Terry Rawls, Mike Hutchins, Darrel Briggs, Danny Thompson, K.C. Carter, Reverend George Olive, Reverend Ken Phelps, Reverend Eddie Taylor, Frank Seeby, Barney "Buddy" Brewer, and Jason Barnes.