Volunteers from around state help clean up from August storm

Several volunteers with the Arizona chapter of the Southern Baptists Disaster Relief Team are in Yuma this week helping residents clean up from Aug. 26's severe thunderstorm, which dumped as much as two inches of rain and wind gusts reported up to 50 miles per hour.

Team member Norma Turner explained that the group is made up of volunteers, some of whom are retired, and having worked many years in their various professions felt helping others in this way was one way they could show their love of Christ.

Turner and her fellow team members, all wearing matching yellow shirts, were at a residence in the 500 block of 8th Avenue on Wednesday to remove to trees that had been knocked over during the storm - a ficus tree that fell over on to a car and a pine tree that had fallen onto the corner of the house.

“This was probably one of the worst,” Turner said of the site.

Removing the pine tree was no easy task and took several hours. Volunteers had to use ropes to carefully secure branches they cut from the tree and lower them to the ground.

“They want to avoid any more damage to the house,” said Turner.

Turner said they began working at the home Tuesday afternoon and expected to finish sometime Wednesday before moving on to their next project. She added that since they began working at the home, they have cleared out at least two piles of debris that were seven to eight feet high.

“We really appreciate how accommodating the city of Yuma and the Yuma Fire Department have been in meeting all our needs,” Turner said. “The city has been a tremendous help hauling up all the debris.”

So far the volunteers have cleaned up three sites, two on Monday and another on Tuesday morning.

Turner went on to explain that the city and the fire department contacted the Southern Baptists Disaster Relief Team last month after the storm and asked if they would be interested in assisting with the cleanup.

“We explained the situation and they were very excited about the opportunity to help people in need,” said Mike Erfert, spokesman for the Yuma Fire Department. “We were glad to be able to connect the people in need with the people who were willing and able to help.”

While tens of thousands of cubic yards of debris have already been removed from roadways and private property over the past several weeks, Erfert said, the city has continued to receive reports of downed trees and residents in need of assistance.

To help meet that need, Erfert said, the city contacted the Southern Baptists Disaster Relief Team for assistance. He said when a resident contacts the city for assistance, their information is then forwarded to the relief team, which gets in touch with them and makes the necessary arrangements.

Turner added the disaster team would be in Yuma through Oct. 14 and plans to assist over 34 families in need of help with fallen trees.

The team members, some of whom drove as far as six hours, arrived in Yuma Monday morning, Turner said, and began prioritizing most of the sites they planned to work at. Another group of volunteers was scheduled to arrive Wednesday afternoon and they would check out the final sites.

“Our first priority were homes that had potential damage,” Turner said. “We are really hoping to get everything done before we leave. If not, we will definitely be back.”

Although some of the volunteers currently working in Yuma can't stay until the 14th and will be leaving on Friday or Saturday, Turner said they are expecting to be joined by other team members who will replace the ones who are leaving.

“A lot of our people take vacation time to go out on jobs,” Turner said. “We should be able to get to the lower priority jobs. Those are the short, quick ones that won't take much time.”

With people not able to afford thousands of dollars for tree removal, Turner said they know their mission to help those who are less fortunate is extremely appreciated. She said one man whom they had helped told her that when he talked to his mom, he told her about what they were doing and she cried.

If you are still in need of this type of assistance, call the Yuma Fire Department at 373-4850 during regular business hours and your information will be passed on to the relief team.

“We believe we are serving the Lord by doing this,” Turner said. “We believe by serving the community and the people who are in need, we are doing what God wants us to do. We hope the community and the residents are blessed by it.”

James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.