Helping hands reach out for twister victims

FRANKLIN, Kan. -- Mary Sayre spent Tuesday helping relatives salvage what they could from the rubble that once was home. She did it for the simplest of reasons.

"Wouldn't you? I would hope they would help if it was me," she said. "With things like this, you've got to pull together."

The thing, in this case, was a Sunday tornado that ripped through this Crawford County community of 300, destroying about 80 percent of the homes, including the one Tim and Terri Sayre rented for 14 years.

The tornado picked up the wood-frame house and deposited most of it in a heap across the street.

"It's sad that it takes something like this to get a lot of people involved, but it's a good feeling that people really care about you," Terri Sayre said.

Items as small as a child's doll and as large as a pickup truck were scattered about. Clothing and slipcovers dangled from tree branches.

Crawford County Sheriff Sandy Horton said volunteers were among the first to show up Monday.

"We have people on standby lists. We could bring in five times the people," Horton said at the emergency command center.

"The amount of people offering help is overwhelming," Horton said. "This is the type of community we live in," he said.

Two arrested for looting

Horton said the only problem he has encountered so far was the arrest of two Mulberry men taken into custody for looting.

A victim at the tornado site reported seeing two men who looked suspicious walking around the debris site and putting items into a backpack, the sheriff said.

"It's disturbing, but we're here to prevent that from happening," Horton said. "We'll arrest anyone else caught looting."

Three people were killed by the tornado in Crawford County, another three in neighboring Cherokee County and one in the Kansas City area.

People helping people in times of disaster wasn't limited to Crawford County. Similar acts played out in the other areas hit by tornadoes.

Throughout the community Tuesday, the sounds of chain saws cutting fallen trees filled the air. In many cases, trees had to be removed before homeowners could sort through what was left.

The front of Dennis Esslinger's jeans were covered with sawdust from the branches he had cut from a downed tree. He came from Bern, Kan., with a church group to lend a hand.

"We're just here doing the Lord's work, helping those who can't help themselves," he said. "It makes us feel good if we can help."

One homeowner listened and spoke up: "We really do appreciate it."

Claims adjusters from insurance companies combed the community, asking directions. Most of the street signs were blown down.

One adjuster, Lisa Kissane, was busy surveying the damage and talking to policyholders.

"We don't want to just pay people and walk away," she said. "They need people through the whole process and it's going to be a long haul."

State Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger visited the community Tuesday to see the extent of damage. She planned to meet later in the day with executives of the major insurance companies.

She said her role is to make sure the insurance companies deliver.

"I'm not anticipating any problems. The response has been very positive," she said.

The helping hands have been large and small -- a woman dropping off three six-packs of water for emergency workers; a trailer filled with food backed up to the American Red Cross disaster shelter at St. Joseph Catholic Church in nearby Arma.

The shelter set up a dining hall and Red Cross volunteers took meals to those sorting through the rubble. There are cots for sleeping, but so far no takers.

"They stay with family and friends. That is typical," said volunteer Paul Frairbank of Independence.

Utility crews continued working to restore power, stringing power lines and replacing broken poles. Officials hope to have power restored in a couple of days.

Dale Coomes, general manager of Heartland Rural Electric Co-Op in Girard, came by to see if the co-op could provide any assistance.

"It's helping your neighbor. That's what you want to do," he said. "It's the Midwest mentality -- help your neighbor."

For many, the question will be whether to rebuild or relocate. Horton said it will be several weeks before all the debris can be cleared.

"I've had a couple of residents say they will rebuild and some say they won't," he said. "I think you'll see a lot of people rebuild."