Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 8, 1990 TAG: 9005080529
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The tornado did most of its damage in Augusta Springs, but hit Pete Strickler's mobile home in Swoope with deadly force. Strickler and his cousin, Ronald Patterson, were killed.
The twister destroyed the Strickler trailer and at least one other, and damaged about 10 homes. It moved a church off its foundation.
Augusta Springs is a community of modest homes along the Little Calfpasture River, and its residents could ill-afford their losses. They had still been working on recovery from the November, 1985 flood.
Why is it that nature's devastation so often seems to hit those least able financially to absorb the loss? A tornado could cut its path through the homes of affluent citizens as easily as through a lower-middle-class neighborhood.
The chairman of the Augusta County Board of Supervisors, Gerald Garber, says Augusta Springs isn't in a position to "heal itself." But thanks to organized relief efforts and the good hearts of neighbors, it won't have to.
Plenty of volunteer help was available to the storm victims by Saturday. The Salvation Army served breakfast, a Staunton motel offered free rooms, and the Red Cross distributed cleanup supplies. The Mennonite Disaster Service promised help with house repairs.
The county supervisors will decide later this week whether to ask Gov. Wilder for state and federal disaster relief. Such aid may be necessary for Augusta Springs residents to get back on their feet. But no amount of financial help will restore the Augusta County communities completely.
Residents who rode out the storm Friday night won't soon forget it. Nature's destructive power can leave a lasting impression - and a hefty bill.
by CNB