Tornado Destroys Church in Jerusalem
Last Update: 1/09/2008 8:45 am
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After a tornado touched down in Appleton, it continued about five miles east to Jerusalem, destroying several homes, chicken coops, even a church. Driving into Jerusalem, you can’t miss the destroyed homes and trailers. Three massive trees fell on one home, finding their final resting place on the roof. Elsie Porter was shocked by the twister's strength and volume."Real big, like a heavy airplane on the ground, the noise was huge; I couldn't believe it,” said Elsie Porter.When Elsie looked outside she quickly realized it was real. Several tombstones turned over at the Cedar Creek Cemetery, and next door a church is now a pile of mangled debris."My dad, I remember building that steeple, and there’s the cross," said Bobby Harvell.“When I heard him say, Cedar Creek Road, my heart dropped," said Lisa Harvell. Luckily for the Harvells, their loved ones tombstones were not damaged, but the twister wasn't as kind to James Huffman."Everyone who passed away is here, 20 to 30 of my relatives are buried out here," said James Huffman. “It's pretty heartbreaking, I was baptized in this church,” said Huffman.James traveled from Atkins because he heard about the damage, when he got to the cemetery he found his mom and dad's tombstones covered in debris."It's pretty rough, I shed a few tears. I just miss them; it’s all we can say. This has always been home, no matter where I live it's home," said James Huffman.One person died when the twister knocked his trailer home from its foundation. There are reports of several injuries. And at one point there were at least 12,000 people without power. That number is now down to less than 4,000 according to Entergy.
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