Cleburne County officials have been meeting with state and federal officials this week in order to seek outside assistance for victims of the May 11, F-1 tornado that impacted the City of Heflin and other areas eastward through the center of Cleburne County. While the likelihood of being declared a disaster in some categories is relatively slim, Cleburne County Executive Officer Steve Swafford expressed hope for a Small Business Administration (SBA) declaration which could possibly provide low interest loans to assist the uninsured and under-insured with re-establishing their homes, furnishings and way of life. Swafford and the Cleburne County Commission encourage any resident of Cleburne County who received damage as a result of the tornado and was uninsured or under-insured to contact the Cleburne County Emergency Management Agency at 463-7130, extension 236. Callers will have their contact information taken in order to be made available to assistance agencies aiding the county in recovery. Officials from the State EMA were in town Monday inspecting the damage and said that before a state emergency can be declared there must be a total of $5.5 million in damages statewide. EMA to test sirens On Friday and Monday the Cleburne County EMA will have McCord Communications of Anniston traveling throughout the county conducting inspections and tests of individual outdoor warning sirens. The inspection was requested by Cleburne EMA in order to assess any lightning or wind damage to the sirens that may have occurred during the tornado. Residents may hear repeated test activations of individual sirens, not the system as a whole, throughout Friday and Monday. Please do not be alarmed. If severe weather is forecast either of these two days, the testing will be delayed. Heflin Mayor issues statement During Tuesday night’s council meeting, Heflin Mayor Anna Berry issued the following: “So much has happened in the short time siincde the early morning of Sunday, May 11. Hats off to Gov. Riley! I called him on Sunday afternoon and within 90 minutes, Ricky Little, Regional Coordinator of the Alabama Emergency Agency, was in my office and ready to do a windshield tour. “By Monday, Benji Abbot, EMA Recovery Branch Chief, and his team were in Heflin to begin a debris assessment. The Alabama Emergency Management team was critical to our getting a handle on the extent of our damage and the different options we have for getting the debris removed and assessing the property damage. A call to Red Cross on Sunday afternoon was made and a representative was here in Heflin by 4 p.m. The Red Cross has provided meals each day from their mobile unit and their staff has been on site to provide emergency shelter and food for displaced citizens.” Mayor Berry added, “Rudy Rooks, Heflin’s Fire Chief and his department ran a command center to dispatch the many volunteers who came early to help with tree removal. The county’s volunteer fire departments with their committed volunteers helped clear streets for Alabama Power to access the downed power lines and begin the restoration process. “The Baptist Association’s Disaster Relief Team led by Chris Jackson was on the scene and worked diligently to remove trees on roofs and help with other tree removal efforts. “The Heflin Police Department made early morning calls to alert citizens and to check on their safety. They provided security and helped with sightseeing traffic. The sheriff’s department assisted also and always go the extra mile when they are needed.” Berry said, “A special thank you goes to the Baptist Association for food for victims and to the First United Methodist Church for providing a great spaghetti dinner to victims and volunteers on Monday night. As we turn the page on these first days after the traumatic experience, I am thankful to know that I live in a community that cares. I am also grateful for the blessing that no one was injured and that we don’t have enough damage to qualify for a federal disaster status. This experience only makes me realize even more that ‘Heflin, Alabama is a great place to call home.’” Fire chief issues comments Commenting to The Cleburne News, Heflin Fire Chief Rudy Rooks stated, “I want to take this opportunity to thank the many firefighters that came to the aid of the Heflin Fire Department and the citizens of Heflin on the morning of May 11. As we all know, a devastating storm hit Heflin around 2:30 Sunday morning. As the rain died down and the winds settled, Heflin Fire, Heflin Police, Cleburne County Sheriff’s Department and Cleburne County EMS were out answering calls of resident trapped in their homes and trees and power lines down everywhere. “We also had a structure fire at one of the apartment complexes. Our resources were being maxed out really fast. That’s when our neighboring fire departments stepped up and offered help. I started receiving calls from several departments that they had men and equipment on the way. I knew that our 911 dispatch was going to be overwhelmed so the mobile command unit from Cleburne Search and Rescue was brought to the Heflin Fire Department and set up as a command post.” Rooks added, “The fire departments were staged at this location and dispatched out to the may calls of road blockage. Within a few hours, most of the streets in town were passable. “Once again, thanks for the hard work and rapid response of the fire fighters. Also thanks to the residents of Heflin that came to the aid of each other. People everywhere were out clearing trees and securing their neighborhoods. This confirms the slogan of the City of Heflin being a great place to call home. Debris pickup The City of Heflin is in the process of picking up the tree debris from the tornado. Our crews along with those from Jefferson County will be making many passes in the affected neighborhoods. The crews will be picking up only trees and other vegetation. Once demolition and reconstruction begins, the City asks that residents and their contractors make sure they have dumpsters for construction debris
About Wayne Ruple
Cleburne News editor Wayne Ruple is a native of Ashville. Before coming to Heflin, he worked for three years as a computer systems manager in Birmingham. Ruple has worked for The Sand Mountain Reporter in Albertville, and was the editor of The Independent in Robertsdale. He has also worked for the Shades Valley Sun, the St. Clair News-Aegis and The Daily Home in Talladega.
