ELON — Less then 48 hours after a tornado shattered the serenity of the Elon community, a peaceful scene unfolded Tuesday as dozens of residents affected by the storm gathered for a public meeting in response to the devastation.
Some exchanging hugs and catching up on their personal situations, nearly 100 people flocked to the sanctuary of Elon Baptist Church to meet with county and state officials to assess the damage and discuss the process of returning to normalcy after the EF2 tornado ripped through the Elon area Sunday.
Amherst County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Claudia Tucker said the county's job is to make sure affected residents have what they need to get through the tragedy. "For the grace of God, we lost structures but we didn't lose any lives," she said. "Our job is to make sure government is providing for you."
County Administrator Dean Rodgers said the devastating, life-changing event will not be over in a week and will take months to fully recover from. "We're going to do our best you stay with you through it," Rodgers said.
In a desperate time where some residents don't have homes, mailboxes or cellphone chargers, he said it's important for the county and residents to speak directly in making sure information is available.
Sheriff E.W. Viar said when he arrived Sunday to survey the damage, he expected to see about 50 people killed. He praised the Elon residents for knowing where neighbors were and helping account for folks as homes were checked on.
"That night, we knew we were not missing anyone," Viar said. "It was fulfilling to know that."
As Viar spoke, the lights of the church that had been without power in the tornado's wake came back on, drawing applause from gatherers.
Director of Public Safety Gary Roakes, who is in his final week with the county as he plans to take a consulting position, spoke of the tornado's path and how the storm crossed the entire county. He and other officials fielded residents' questions, such as access to affected neighborhoods, how to get assistance in various areas and disposing of debris as the massive cleanup continues.
Tucker said the county declared a state of emergency, and officials will make sure residents have resources to crucial items they need that may have been lost, such as prescription drugs.
Roakes said the community response for wanting to help has been overwhelming, and a large force of workers, including Amherst County students, would pour into the affected areas Wednesday to help in the cleanup.
Business owners and church leaders in attendance also mentioned acts of service they want to provide to help, especially as "the hype" from the major weather event settles down and life returns to normal in the Elon area. A Salvation Army truck was on the church's grounds to provide free meals for those in need.
Mark Lindsay, a resident of Nottaway Drive, one of the hardest hit areas, said he his home would have to be rebuilt. He said the community response has been fantastic and praised the immediate emergency presence when the tornado hit.
"Right on time," he said of the fire departments on scene. "As soon as it happened, they were there."
Roakes received a standing ovation from the audience when he was recognized during the meeting for his 34 years of service to the county.
Fighting tears, Roakes spoke of the disaster's personal impact on him.
"I didn't lose my house but you did," he said to some gathered. "I hurt for you ...It's been a tough couple of days, but we'll get through it."