Tornado relief continues in Hampton Co. despite obstacles of severe weather, coronavirus
Audrey Hopkins-Williams, wearing a pink cloth face mask that hid much of her face, waved as a man in a pickup truck slowly rolled away from Estill’s Bull Durham Center.
“I’ll call you when the meals get in,” she shouted at the man, who had just picked up some plastic storage bins donated to help tornado victims recover. The donations will help tide over the little Hampton County community — including the man and his family, who lost the roof to their home — in the process of recovering from an EF4 tornado’s destruction two weeks ago.
As the pickup truck drove off, another vehicle pulled up.
Hopkins-Williams was there to welcome all.
The tornado, about 3/4-mile wide, tore through rural Hampton County on April 13 with winds between 166 and 200 mph. It took an “unusually” long 24-mile path through the agricultural-based area, uprooting trees and the lives of the people who lived there. It killed five people — a family of three and two roommates who worked together — and injured at least 60 more.
Every day since, Hopkins-Williams has been working at the Bull Durham Center, one of the relief centers in the county. She accepts donations from people wanting to help, and she offers a hand to those who show up needing food, clothing, toiletries or other items.
But the community’s process is different from other disaster recovery routines because of coronavirus. Volunteers wear masks and gloves. Visitors are restricted inside the relief centers. No hugs allowed.
The Bull Durham Center, which was originally built as a cotton warehouse in 1910, has been an event space next to the railroad tracks in downtown since 2009. Now, it’s one of a handful of relief hubs set up to help the hundreds of people trying to put their lives back together, and doing so in the midst of a global pandemic.
Outside, signs along a wooden railing list donation drop-off hours and instructions such as “For assistance, please blow your horn!!!!!” and “Due to COVID-19, only NEW clothes accepted. Tags must be on them. Thanks!”
Inside, dozens of tables hold donations. The front half has the new clothes and toys. The back half acts as a food bank with non-perishable items and an assortment of bottled drinks.
A few volunteers with gloves and face masks sort donated items and pack individual bags. They’ll deliver them later to those who need them. A lot of people couldn’t drive their vehicles because they were damaged in the tornado, or they’re busy working on their homes, Hopkins-Williams said.
She is there every day because she knows how fortunate she is. The homes of some family members who live nearby were badly damaged, while the things on her porch barely moved during the storm.
She and the other women in this tight-knit group of volunteers running the donation center have it down to a science.
“It’s been a blessing that we’ve been able to be a blessing to the community,” Hopkins-Williams said.
Less than eight miles down the road, the glass doors to the Nixville Baptist Church Family Life Center were propped open, awaiting donations. The church sits next to farmland, and chickens cluck throughout the day.
The Nixville community, which is small and close, was one of the areas hardest hit by the tornado.
The church’s sign, which typically displays a Bible verse or information on services, instead showed a simple list: “SUPPLIES, SHOWERS, & LAUNDRY.”
Nearly two weeks after the tornado, that list offers the hope some need to continue on.
“You’re going to need a bigger building,” a man joked, catching a glimpse of the gymnasium full of supplies while he dropped off donations from Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties.
He could bring the donations only as far as the front desk, because only volunteers were allowed in the main building as part of the coronavirus-prompted precautions. A note on the front door requested only one person inside at the front desk at a time, if possible.
Wendy Jarrell has been coordinating relief efforts at the church since hours after the violent storm hit.
Jarrell and her husband have counted their blessings daily since the tornado traveled right behind their home, but spared them.
They used their farm equipment to help move trees and debris. That effort grew into Jarrell leading the church’s donation center.
“It’s hard to put into words the amount of love we’ve seen come in,” she said as tears welled.
People from all over the place — within the county, throughout South Carolina and even some from around the country — have sent donations.
“It’s like we have a mini-Walmart in here,” she said. They even have toilet paper and hand sanitizer — items hard to come by in most stores.
The volunteers at the church are also going door to door in the surrounding areas to deliver two meals a day, as well as supplies, when needed. Jarrell said they’ve taken donations to more than 100 addresses.
In addition to the typical obstacles of natural disaster recovery, the community has had the extra challenges of more severe weather and a global pandemic spreading throughout the country. As of Thursday, Hampton County had 21 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Despite it all, the community is working hard to make sure its people are taken care of.
“We’re in full recovery mode now,” Hampton County administrator Rose Dobson-Elliott said after the storm. “I’m sure we have a long road ahead, but we’re staying optimistic and keeping everyone focused and coordinated.”
In addition to the Bull Durham Center and Nixville Baptist Church, the Hampton County Recreation Department, Huggin Oak Church of God, and Open Arms Fellowship are all resources in Hampton County.
The Hampton County Council has also partnered with the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, setting up a fund to help with tornado relief efforts.
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 4:30 AM.
