During the past several weeks, severe storms and tornados have plagued the southeastern United States. Most of the damage came at the end of April when a record number of tornados hit Alabama and surrounding states.

After the disaster, Bro. Bobby Grant decided it was his time to lend a helping hand.

Grant was the Clinton County Disaster Chairman with the American Red Cross when the April 3, 1974 tornados swept through Clinton County causing widespread damage and killing eight local residents.

His experiences during that time always causes Grant to remember what Clinton County went through in the days and weeks following that 1974 disaster.

Apparently, plenty of other Clinton Countians remember as well.

As reported two weeks ago, Bro. Grant organized a relief effort and the people of Clinton County have come through.

Grant was able to take a tractor-trailer truck load of items to a small town called Hackelburg, Alabama and the items were much needed and appreciated.

“You can’t imagine the destruction that those people are going through,” Grant said. “There are still more than 40 people unaccounted for. It’s a mind boggling thing.”

The relief effort, totaled around 45-50,000 pounds of grocery and personal items, along with monetary donations totaling $7,098.75.

After the tornados hit in April, Bro. Grant said it was time for him to do something to help. With the aid of Emergency Medical Services Director Lonnie Scott and Judge/Executive Lyle Huff, steps were made to begin the relief effort.

A refrigerated truck, donated by Todd Anderson, and the will of others who brought in food, personal hygiene items and those who donated, were able to make the trip to Hackleburg, AL, to supply those in need with the necessary items to get their lives back on track.

Bro. Grant said he was just one of many people who gave their time and money to help those people.

“You never know when you are going to need help,” Grant said.

Upon arriving in Hackleburg, Grant said the destruction of the violent storm was very evident from the roadway. After reaching a staging area, Grant said the people of Hackleburg were relieved to see all the food and personal hygiene items they brought.

“When we got there, we opened the truck and started unloading the bread,” Grant said. “Some of the items were heavy so we needed a fork lift. I went to a local hardware store and asked if we could borrow one to unload the items.”

Grant said one of the amazing things he saw in Hackleburg was when people were coming to the store to pick up items. They weren’t just grabbing food and filling up their carts.

“They would only get what they needed,” Grant said.

Bro. Grant told several stories of different accounts of the tornado that hit the small town.

The Hackleburg tornado, according to what residents told Bro. Grant, was classified as an EF-5 tornado with an EF-3 tornado circling the EF-5.

Other stories told of people being sucked out of their homes and killed.

“At this one house, there were a couple of women standing at the bottom of their stairs going into their basement and when the tornado came through and hit the house, they were sucked up into the tornado,” Grant said. “Another family was killed when the tornado created a vacuum effect and the cellar collapsed and killed them. It is very tragic.”

Tornados were also reported for Joplin, MO Sunday night, May 22, where more than 118 people are reported dead and many more are unaccounted for.