ENTERPRISE, Ala. (ABP) — Alabama Baptist churches were the first responders after a tornado killed nine people in Enterprise, Ala., March 1. Eight of the victims were students from the local high school.
Seven other tornados tore through the state that same day, killing another person in nearby Wilcox County.
“The situation here resembles a site where bombs have been dropped,” said Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. He had joined a disaster-relief team from Vaughn Forest Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. “Trees are downed. Houses are damaged and destroyed in significant numbers.”
Gov. Bob Riley has declared a state of emergency in Alabama, authorizing the state's National Guard to assist in recovery and security efforts.
John Granger, director of missions for Alabama's Coffee County Baptist Association, said school had been dismissed when the tornado hit Enterprise's senior high.
“The students had already been let out to the buses and had to go back into the halls when it came,” he said. “‘There it is' was the most warning they had.”
Several of the students who died belonged to local Baptist churches. One was the grandson of Joel Jackson, a former director of missions for the Coffee association.
Hillcrest Baptist Church, located directly across the parking lot from the school, served as an evacuation and triage area. The church also had the “terrible duty” of notifying the parents of the deceased.
“The situation is dire with the total devastation of the high school,” Billy Joy, the pastor at Hillcrest, said. “We were at the window and saw [the tornado] coming. I have never felt fear like that before.”
But Hillcrest Baptist sustained only minor damage and was “able to respond and do some great ministry,” according to Granger.
He said the same of nearby First Baptist Church in Enterprise, which served as a shelter and staging area for American Red Cross workers and other disaster-relief teams.
“It's been pretty devastating,” Lance Hogan, the pastor of First Baptist, said. “Nearly 80 stayed here [the night of the storm], including people … whose children were killed. We ask for prayers for these families.”
The only damages at Hogan's church were some missing shingles and a hand-sized hole in a sanctuary window.
“We were very blessed in that way,” he said.
Lee Street Baptist Church in Enterprise received the most damage — a corner of the sanctuary's roof blew off during the storm.
Pastor Larry Doster's nearby house lost most of its roof as well, according to church member Bill Bullington.
Despite the losses, ongoing help for those affected by the storms has been consistent, including work done by chain saw teams, visits from chaplains trained in critical incident stress management, and monetary donations from the state Baptist association. In Wilcox County, Riverview Baptist Church in Camden, Ala., is a staging point for relief work.
“As soon as we heard … of the damage done in the hardest-hit area, which was Enterprise, we immediately put chain saw and assessment teams on standby to go serve within 24 hours,” said Tommy Puckett, disaster relief coordinator of the state mission board.
Granger, the director of missions, said the efforts have made a difference.
“I want to thank everyone for the kindness and the prayers,” he said. “It is unbelievable how many are wanting to come and help.”
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