Tornadoes Send Shock Waves
In Somerset Ag Community
(Continued from Page B 6)
an access through the 1/2 mile of
uprooted trees and limbs that
covered the roadway.
"We worked and worked and
worked because you could keep
hearing them," said the farmer.
Later, when the dairyman
tallied the numbers, about 24
head of his prime stock had per
ished. Those that initially sur
vived were too badly injured to
save for any reason.
"The ones that I lost were
some of my best ones," Millard
reported. "We lost some 2,000
pounds of milk a day right off."
His heifers, however, were at
a rental property near Berlin.
Since an unused milking parlor
came with it, the Millards have
moved their entire operation to
the site on Lichty Hill Road.
As far as dairy animals, the
Millard's loss was probably the
heaviest of those reported,
although the vortex also demol
ished countless barns and out
buildings of belonging to his
farming neighbors.
Like Wendell and Darlene
Yoder who still have a house but
also the stress of decision-mak
ing.
On the lighter side, Yoder
expressed a strong wish that in
addition to his barn and various
storage sheds, that the tornado
did likewise with lots of star
lings that had hung around the
property.
Bill and Sylvia Mast never
dreamed their Piney Run Farms -
would survive not one, but two
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disasters withing 48 hours.
Combine, the tornadoes last
ed mere seconds, which consid
ering their violent vorticity,
make the resultant destruction
and devastation that remains,
seem even more frightening to
area residents. They will never
be the same.
It's usually very calm here,"
Mast reported, "but the first tor
nado hit the west side of the
farm and the second hit the east
side."
Thirteen years ago, the bam
had burned down, now it was
gone again. The destroyed
machine shed was only 10 years
old and the heifer shed was also
gone. Worst of all, the prized
stand of timber and his maple
trees that were under forest
management were gone.
The economic losses he sus
tained from the mutilation of
the maples and hardwoods were
greater than the sum of all the
rest, including the four dead
cows.
"It probably wasn't as hard
on me at first as after the second
tornado hit, then it was hard on
me," confessed the man who
puts God first in his life.
Gone were the dependable
4,400 taps from which the sap,
in late winter and early spring,
drips for evaporation later, into
precious maple syrup.
Gone were the tender new
maples that Mast knew were
ready to enter next year's pro
duction potentially, 2,000 more
taps.
What sealed the heartbreak
ing loss for Mast was the dis
couraging, official report inform
ing him that regrowing a stand
of timber such as the trees he
lost, will take 40 to 60 years.
He related how he and his
wife have generously donated to
their church whatever they can
supply, such as oak for th? trim
around its new addition, and
their time.
"When I saw the losses, I had
to ask, 'Why?'" he said.
"Sometimes, we just don't
understand."
But despite all, when the
waterways cleaning crew began
removing debris from Piney Run
which flows not far from their
house, and exhibited very small
forbearance for the Mast's situa
tion, Mast responded with an
attitude that was consistent
with his faith.
Mennonite Disaster Service,
(MDS) and the Salvation Army
sent food for all victims and vol
unteers so with Christian hospi
tality, Mast invited the sur
prised men to share the abun
dant meal. They accepted.
Among the souvenirs dropped
on his land by the vortex were
business signs from two restau
rants in the nearby town of
Salisbury.
Mast's wasn't the only timber
ravaged by the disaster. Its path
over a long line of forested
ridges is extremely obvious.
Joseph Kinsinger, his wife,
Lovina and their six children,
ages 8 years to 3 months, were
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 27, 1998-B9
just finishing the evening milk
ing when the unexpected torna
do touched down on their prop
erty in Greenville Twp. He was
in the engine room of the bam.
"It's an inexplainable feel
ing," he reported. "The worst
thing was I wasn't with the rest
of the family.:
Although, at first the genera
tor blocked the sound of the fast
approaching twister, it soon out
roared the running motor of the
generator.
"It sounded worse than any
freight train I ever heard,: the
young farmer said.
Kinsinger sustained heavy
losses, as well. Like Mast he lost
1,200 maple taps and estimates
200 may have survived.
The barn was flattened, four
sheds, and two horses gone.
MDS sent food to every farm
for volunteers and the MDS sup
port of hands and food will con
tinue until very farmer can
return to normal operations.
Edwin and Catherine Lee of
Warren's Mill Road, Meyersdale,
lost a new horse barn that was
under construction and were
very thankful that her parents
from Kentucky had, 20 minutes
earlier, arrived safely to visit
their daughter and her family.
One person died as a direct
result of the Sunday tornado
and 15 injured persons were
treated and released from local
hospitals.
Bunny Miller's family found
MILK
that, although the tornado com
pacted her refrigerator, it spared
the dozen eggs that were inside.
These were found unbroken, on
the ground.
And someone else discovered
a Bible. The center was gone but
at the end and beginning, pages
were still intact.
Perhaps God is affirming that
He is the Alpha and Omega, the
Beginning and the End. .the
First and the Last.
"We were singing until we
couldn't sing anymore.' reported
Darlene Yoder, mother of four
children. "Then we prayed. "At
lease we didn't have things fly
ing at us."
"For days we were so dazed
we couldn't make decisions.
Finally, somebody started mak
ing decisions for us." Mrs Yoder
said
"We have gained so much out
of it," she added. "Both spiritual
ly and from the friends who are
taking care of us."
Figures from MDS indicate
that in the entire area following
both disaster, 55 houses were
lost; at least 20 mam barns and
numerous other shed and stor
age buildings.
Seventy-four houses received
major damage and even greater
numbers received minor dam
age. It is possible the economic
and ecological losses will far sur
pass the rest and be felt well
into the future.