Seen and Heard at Tornado Press Conference
Posted on Tuesday, April 30th, 2024
County Clerk Shelly Russell, volunteer leader (r) with B. Sessions
Senator James Langford at press conference April 30, 2024.
City Administrator Scott Chaney and Marietta Mayor Kermit McKinney.
Staffers on Duty during the tornado meet Gov. Stitt April 30.
They are Jeff McGuire, Paramedic; Maria Maynard, P.A.; and
Curtis Hembree, Central Supply manager.
By Barbara W. Sessions
Hospital Communications Consultant
(May 1, 2024): The visit of state and national leaders on April 30 to tour tornado damage in Marietta and speak at a press conference in the parking lot of the hospital brought added opportunities to hear from local leaders and healthcare workers gathered to meet them.
Albert Bearden, from the radiology department, was on duty Saturday night when the hospital was hit by the tornado: “It sounded like an implosion, like a bomb going off. As soon as the electricity went out, the generator kicked on. We could see our patients and help keep them calm.”
A nurse who evacuated patients to the hospital’s storm shelter: “It sounded like machine gun fire, then like a wrecking ball was hitting the place. The shelter stood firm, we had no patient injuries.”
The ambulance bay was completely destroyed, but said an EMT, the three vehicles inside were parked up against the door, and that preserved them. “The windshield on a chief’s car was broken, and the windshield wipers of an ambulance blew away.”
EMTs treated “seven-to-eight” walkup injured after the storm passed.
Misti Kirk, clinic director, had high praise for Jenny Hambrick, pharmacist at Marietta Pharmacy. With the clinic’s computers down until Monday, electronic submission of prescriptions was not possible. “Jenny worked with us and made arrangements with other pharmacies to accept our ‘scripts,” Kirk said.
Maria Maynard, the physician assistant on duty in the Emergency Room said she was still processing the tornado experience four days later. “I feel like this was my place. I was meant to be here to do what I could to help patients.”
A corner of the nursing home was hit. No one was injured and all of the approximately 40 residents were transferred during the night to other nursing homes in the region. Said one emergency official, “A lady was in the process of being evacuated from that corner room at the time the ceiling started falling.”
County Clerk Shelly Russell had a wealth of information about the Fair Building on 2 St. in Marietta. “It is the centralized place every day for people wanting to give or receive services.”
Russell said her job is to record the names and days available to work of individucal volunteers and groups of volunteers like churches and businesses.
Activity begins at 8 a.m and contines until 6 p.m.. Every day since the Marietta tornado on April 27, volunteers have dispensed three meals a day, plus waters and other resources.
Russell said Dollar General and Walmart each has announced they will be bring a truckload of refrigerated and nonperishable items, respectively.
Other needs expressed were for bottled water and energy drinks, non-perishable foods, cleaning and hygiene supplies, andd baby items. All can be dropped off at the Fair Building.
Electric power was not restored until early Tuesday morning. So, under the leadership of Kyle Minyard and his wife OSU Extension Agent Lauren Minyard, Russell said, volunteers went door to door throughout the city checking on residents’ welfare.
“Now we are helping people shop for groceries. SORTS transportation from Big Five Community Agency has brought buses from several other communities.”
Monday through Friday, a bus departs the Fair Building every hour on the hour from 9 a.m. through 2 p.m. “Anyone can ride a SORTS bus from the Fair Building to Walmart in Ardmore. The van waits while they food shop. Then the van takes them directly to their homes,” Russell said.
“I expect this service will be going on for quite a while,” she added. Russell gave her office number 276-3059, to call to ask for assistance or to volunteer goods, services, or time. “Ask for any extension to speak to someone. After hours, leave a message,” she said.
Marietta Mayor Kermit McKinney praised the state and local Office of Emergency Management for their leadership in helping the community respond to catastrophe. He cited Trent Barrick, Love County’s Emergency Manager.
McKinney also talked about phone calls he and City Administrator Scott Chaney are receiving from businesses near and far offering assistance to Marietta for process of cleanup. Items such as generators, back hoes, cook trailers, and services such as metal reclamation are flowing in. “People are unbelievably good and rendering heartfelt assistance,” he said.
The tornado tore out the economic center of the community. Now the recovery begins. “Marietta is going to grow bigger and better,” Mayor McKinney predicted.