A Special News Bulletin
Where does SteelMaster come in the picture after the recent onslaught of Tornadoes? Read on to find out…
Suffice it to say there are no ample words on behalf of our SteelMaster family which adequately convey our heart-felt condolences for those who are dealing with incomprehensible losses, and for the welfare of the many victims who survived the recent severe storms and tornadoes. At SteelMaster, we are fortunate to make a lot of friends along the way in our profession. We get to know most of our customers on a personal level and we have no barriers between our business dealings and valued friendships, nor do we wish to distinguish the two. We share our grief with our friends. We offer our thoughts, our prayers and resources as we hold all affected in the light.
Doomsday prophets started spreading the fear a couple of years ago. In case you have not heard, you may want to note the following date. The end of the world according to the ancient Mayan calendar is supposed to take place on 12-21-12.
It is a good thing we survived the end of the world back on December 31, 1999. When the clock struck midnight, everything from our toaster ovens to our vehicles to nuclear power plants were supposed to go "kaput" because the world’s micro-chips were not created to withstand the "000" date at the turn of the century.
Ironically, the end of the world comes when we least expect it. The end of the world to each of us is actually when our world comes to a screeching halt. Unfortunately, for some, the end of the world did come last week.
"High Risk" for Severe Weather
Just before 8am EST, NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC), upgraded their outlook for March 2 to include a "high risk" area to include parts of Kentucky and middle Tennessee. The area was subsequently expanded into southern Indiana, southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky just before noon.
Marty Mullins, a SteelMaster customer and Partner in Steel (PIS) called us right away to let us know how his two SteelMaster
Storage Sheds fared through some particularly rough weather last Friday. He and his family reside in Jonesville, Virginia, a small town in Lee County with a population of 985. Jonesville is located at the southwestern tip of Virginia and is situated smack-dab, 35 miles between both Kentucky and Tennessee.
Marty and his wife, their 12 year-old daughter, and 21 year-old son knew the drill. The family left their 28’x60’ double-wide mobile (slab foundation) home and headed to his parents house only one mile away to seek shelter in their basement until the severe storms had passed. Conditions were conducive for formulation of tornadoes. Various "Watches" and "Warnings" were posted, updated, and when expired, more posted to take their place. At the least, they were expecting high winds and heavy rain. It was around 8:35 pm Friday evening.
As they visited with his parents they were keenly aware of the heavy rain as it made its way through. It did not seem bad enough to head to the basement, so they just continued to enjoy their visit. At around 11:45 pm, all watches and warnings had expired, and the Mullins family decided to head home, Marty remembers remarking, "I can’t wait to climb in bed and get some sleep – I’m bushed!"
But sleep would not come for Marty until a day and a half later.
An eerie silence came over them as they neared what Marty thought was his driveway. As they made the turn they were astonished to find their home demolished, completely off its foundation, with the roof peeled back as if a huge can-opener got to it.
Then, a miracle amongst the debris…their two beloved "wiener dogs" (dachshunds) were found alive and very happy to be reunited with the other humans from the house. (Marty said they do not understand they are dogs.)
When light came the next morning, Marty was able to ascertain the full scope of the damage. Amazingly, he had the where-with-all about him to take pictures for insurance purposes. What he captured through his camera tells the story of the hideous nature of a monster hit and miss tornado.
Marty would later come to find out this particular storm cell and tornado originated in Nashville, Tennessee, and made a straight line through Knoxville, ending up in Jonesville, leaving a path of hit and miss debacle in various cities and towns in its wake. The storm took out a couple more homes in Jonesville before it ended there. The National Weather Service has confirmed this particular cell was, in fact, the longest ever recorded. At 200 yards wide, it lasted nearly five hours. To shed some perspective, it is very rare for a tornado to even last one hour.
The tornado that tore through Marty’s home and property was rated an F-1 (winds of 95-100 mph) by the National Weather Service (NWS). An F-1 is nightmarish enough, but Marty’s not entirely convinced it was not an F-2 or F-3. It took the NWS a week to rate the tornado due to its scope. Experts determine the F-factor based upon the severity of the destruction by using an instrument called a "debris counter". This method is typically used when there were no other scientific means available to pinpoint the wind velocity during the actual event.
Out of their home and belongings, 99% of anything breakable was broken. They did find three whole dinner plates. They were also able to rummage through and save most of their clothes. Pictures which were once hung "just so" were strewn all over their property along with other household items. They also salvaged a couple of pieces water-soaked furniture. Their barn and the heavy equipment once inside – destroyed. Marty’s ’40 Model GMC, smashed in by the demise of the barn roof.
Marty Mullins is an optimist though. His strength is inspiring. His concern is his family and how they are dealing with the devastation. "Hey… my family and I survived. I’ve got insurance too. My 12 year-old is handling this as well as can be expected. I mean, my wife and I are doing our best to explain how this happened, but it’s hard, you know? My 21 year-old is taking things well, I think. My wife and I are just waiting for the insurance adjuster to let us know how much we will have to start to rebuild our lives."
Marty added, "When I looked around at my property, the destruction was indescribable – except for two things…These two things would be a SteelMaster 25’x32’ shed purchased back in 1993, and a second 20’x30’ SteelMaster shed we bought around Thanksgiving a year ago. I really could not believe my eyes."
"I was amazed. Even though I have experience as a welder/fabricator, I work on cranes now. All of my industrial tools and equipment I’ve accumulated over the years are worth thousands, including a new air compressor I just paid a grand for – these items were spared thanks to my
SteelMaster buildings. I also kept my truck garaged in one and it is still drivable…thank God. And both of my SteelMaster buildings are still standing. One of them took a serious licking and only has some dents at the top of one corner and a couple of bolts missing. I think this is amazing. I still can’t believe it!" said Marty.
Marty is such a SteelMaster fan, he is seriously considering building a SteelMaster home, instead of going the traditional route when he re-builds.
Many of us watched anxiously with bated breath as live television coverage unfolded the trauma of the aftermath a week ago last Saturday. Some of us had to fight the urge to hop in our vehicles to seek out and punch reporters attempting to interview survivors, still wandering aimlessly in shock, "Can you put into words for our viewers at home how you feel right now?"
Many of us were moved to tears, moved to help by sending checks and supplies, moved to pray, and moved to hug our spouse, and/or significant other, and our children a little closer and tighter. This was quickly becoming another tragic event to add to the long list of disasters our world has endured preceding this one. Some of us even fought feelings of denial, and were thankful it did not happen to us or our family. Some of us felt guilty for thinking that.
The death toll stands at a sobering 39. Angel Babcock, 15 months old, was found alive in a field near her family’s home in New Pekin, Indiana. She passed away while in the hospital, a heart-wrenching reminder of the wrath of what is being hailed as the worst tornado outbreak ever recorded for the month of March (1).
Stephanie Decker, 36, of Henryville, Indiana, lost one leg above the knee and the other above the ankle, according to her husband Joe. She was last reported as being in serious but stable condition at a Kentucky hospital. She wrapped her children in a blanket and tied them to her as she used her body to shelter them. The couple’s 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter also survived Friday’s storm, due to their mother’s quick-thinking and selflessness (2).
The end may come and go to others, as news and headlines switch over to the next big weather event or relevant stuff like what the Kardashians are up to, and which celebrity entered re-hab again.
But to those who perished or lost loved ones, lost their homes, their pets, their livelihood, and family photos and heirlooms… it was indeed the end of their world, or at least the world came to a screeching halt… if your name happens to be Marty Mullins.
In closing, Marty said, "I have to look at the big picture. I know God had a hand in this tornado, and I know He has a plan. We don’t know all the answers, but God does. I may not be the most religious man in the world, but this experience certainly makes me want to be a better man."
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