Saturday, September 23, 2000
Tornado recovery operations under way
By Lew Moores
The Cincinnati Enquirer
XENIA — More than 200 city workers, 40 dump trucks supplied by the Ohio Department of Transportation and more than 45 troops from the Ohio National Guard joined hundreds of families and friends who went to work Friday cleaning up after the tornado that cut a narrow but devastating swath through this community Wednesday night.
Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency arrived in the city Thursday and began assessing the damage Friday.
Both U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Maureen O'Connor toured the affected areas, by ground as well as by air Friday, and later said they will ask the federal government to help people rebuild homes and businesses.
James Mullins Jr., a 63-year-old retired auto worker who raised horses at his home, died in the storm. On Friday, neighbors remembered him.
“He was just a very good guy,” Jennifer Moffitt, 14, who lives across the lane from Mullins' home, said Friday. “He had lots of friends. Everybody liked him.”
Mr. Mullins was killed, and his wife, Anita, was injured in Wednesday's tornado when a tree limb fell on their car. Mrs. Mullins was listed in serious condition at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.
Jennifer said she and other neighborhood children sought shelter and comfort at the Mullins' house if bad weather hit when their parents were not home. They would monitor the storms on television.
Mr. Mullins sometimes picked up the children from soccer practice if their parents were at work.
“The kids really think a lot of him,” said Jennifer's mother, Merita Moffitt. “It still hasn't really sunk in.”
At least 100 people were hurt in the storm. It destroyed 50 homes and damaged up to 125 houses and about 20 businesses.
Sen. DeWine said he and the state will push to get assistance from Washington, but the area has not yet been declared a national disaster area.
“I think the good news is seeing people fighting back, coming back,” said Sen. DeWine. “People are resilient. People at times like this drop everything they're doing and go help friends, go help people they don't even know.”
People did help out as the cleanup continued in earnest throughout the day Friday.
Robert L. Richards stood before what was once his son's home on Laddie Court in the northwestern section of the city. Nothing stood. Mr. Richards said his son, Robert R. Richards, is a teacher with Xenia public schools, and throughout the day friends, family members and fellow teachers came by to help him salvage what they could from the home.
“There's not much to save,” said Mr. Richards. “There were some wine glasses that weren't broke. Just little things like that. The kids lost everything. But we've had a lot of nice people, a lot of the neighbors helping, too.”
The Salvation Army's Greater Cincinnati Disaster Services had sent two mobile canteens, and was coordinating two other canteens from Columbus and Portsmouth.
David Hersh, coordinator for Disaster Services, said they expected to do between 2,000 and 2,200 meals a day.
Mayor John Saraga said the city is looking into federal help to buy battery backup systems for the area's 10 sirens — five in Xenia Township, five in the city — because the system is so expensive. They are also assessing whether the number of sirens is adequate.
Troops from the Army National Guard's 324th Military Police Company, based in Middletown, were helping with traffic control in the city.
Guard Staff Sgt. Marco Schmigotzki said they could be assigned to the city for the next three to five days. The Guard units allow city police to continue normal patrols.
“We're here, we're unified in our mission to support the community,” said Sgt. Schmigotzki.
Ken Johnson, the city's human resources director, said officials want to establish a contractor registration, administered by the Ohio Attorney General's Office, “so that the citizens can avoid fraud by dealing with contractors that have been reviewed.”
Mildred Witalec lives on Omalee Drive; a fence separates her neighborhood from the fairgrounds, which looked like a war zone. Her roof has been patched temporarily, although she's been told it will probably need to be replaced.
Roofing from buildings in the fairgrounds landed on her street, in the trees in her yard.
“Look up in the trees.” she said. A 1,000-pound transformer rocketed through her garage. “All my awnings disappeared,” she said. “I think they went north.”
Blocks away, in the upscale neighborhood of Highlander Drive and Laddie Court, Charles Carraher was on his knees as his brother-in-law retrieved Mr. Carraher's record collection, album by album, from the collapsed home.
“I don't know if we've decided yet,” said Mr. Carraher when asked whether he and his wife, Vickie, would rebuild. The two-story house was a total loss. They did find his wife's engagement and wedding rings.
A block away, on a home undamaged by Wednesday night's fury, a paper sign went up on a garage door.
“Been there, done that,” it read. “Xenia lives again!!”
Complete coverage of the Xenia tornado:
Gallery of photographs from the scene
The path of the twister: Infographic
Tornado recovery operations under way
'It seemed like God was in control'
It's deja vu for Guardsman/helper
The Enquirer's special 25th anniversary coverage of the Tornado of 1974
Former councilman admits to voter fraud
RAMSEY: Shootings
Abortion restriction blocked
Schools chief gets positive review
Ceremony welcomes 90 new American citizens
DNA leads to suspect in rape from 1993
HOWARD: West End touchstone 150 years
MCNUTT: Yesteryear Book takes look back at Butler
Prison worker pleads guilty to illicit affair
School plans 10th birthday party
Trial to proceed in fatal shooting
Concert review
Dance review
Consignment buying comes of age
:Discovery Channel star debuts decorating book
:Kitchens and baths sparkle at show
Bond Hill man charged in rapes, kidnappings
Campbell aims to conserve
Clintons' overnight guests
Court of Appeals rejects Kentucky's Megan's Law
Gardens Center more than shelter
Insurance method deemed 'unfriendly'
Man gets 30 years for shaking baby
Opinion sought on sale of guns
Ted Celeste falling further behind
Get to it
Kentucky News Briefs
Pig Parade: Hog Wash
Tristate A.M. Report
