CONWAY — While standing in the middle of Whately Road last Monday in the weekend tornado’s aftermath, I was struck by an immense feeling of helplessness — sometimes words just aren’t enough.
I know that because I’ve been on the other side of the lens.
A microburst swept through my childhood Northampton neighborhood in the summer of 2000, damaging or destroying every house on Pine Brook Curve except for my family’s weathered blue duplex. We were lucky.
That night and for weeks following, we slept on the living room floor, afraid that more trees might fall. The next day, I remember waking up before everyone else to see the wreckage.
Reporters were everywhere, sawdust drifted through sunlight, hail the size of bullets melted and trees crisscrossed the one-way road. Vividly, I recall stepping into my friend’s house — through what used to be a wall — where a large oak tree had fallen right down the middle.
Those memories came flooding back as I stood on Whately Road. I realized then, that after the news crews leave and the hype dies down, the Maggs’ barn will still be demolished, the Thomases will still have to rebuild, the Delabarres will have to figure out what to do next and everyone else who’s been affected will still have to repair what’s broken.
Words can’t change that. Life will go on, and all those stories from all those reporters won’t matter because stories can’t rewind time.
But then I saw a community come together, perhaps influenced by words. I was a witness. I saw neighbors helping neighbors, strangers helping strangers. I saw charitable events materialize out of nowhere and donations pour in.
By Thursday, the community had raised almost $80,000 collectively to help victims. Volunteers came out in droves to clean up the Pumpkin Hollow Brook area; others offered up their talents and resources.
I saw emergency crews work tirelessly for days, selflessly giving their time and efforts, with some of them stepping into harm’s way. State leaders called in resources. Town officials stepped up, making tough calls.
Emergency Manager David Chichester said it best as he was pulling out of the Town Hall parking lot when the emergency was over. “Boy, did we pull together,” he said.
In 50 years, when I tell my grandkids about the freak February tornado that tore through Conway, I won’t just remember the devastation. I’ll remember what came after. I’ll remember witnessing a tremendously supportive community pull themselves up by the bootstraps to help each other out.
But there’s still a lot of work to be done. The news crews may have moved on to the next big story, the hype might have died down, but Conway’s community spirit hasn’t left. And because I’ve witnessed all of this, I know for a fact that the workload will be borne by many. Conway is in this together.
You can reach Andy Castillo
at: acastillo@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 263
On Twitter: @AndyCCastillo