Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 7

Tuesday, November 24, 1992 The Clarion-Ledger 7 A il.il rM.ie-'-w vA i r- nW: rm I Uoi SET Hi. I 1 it i s. A mm) At .3 The Clarion-Ledger received about 65 phone calls Monday from people and organizations wanting information on where, how and what to contrib-' ute to relief efforts in the wake of the weekend's killer tornadoes. The Salvation Army has opened a central warehouse at 304 E. Government Brandon, to collect and distribute contributions for tornado victims in Rankin County.

Non-perishable food, bedding, cleaning supplies, paper products, toiletries and other basics except clothing are being sought. The temporary cellular phone number in Brandon is 331-0355. The Jackson office can be reached at 968-7258. The Red Cross is seeking cash donations to purchase necessities and volunteers to assist in feeding and working with families displaced by the storms. It asks that clothing and other items be donated to other organizations.

For more information, call the Red Cross at 353-5442. Current members of the American Legion and specific affiliated groups could be eligible to up to 1 ,500 in emergency relief. The American Legion has established emergency funding for people whose homes or other property have been damaged, said Jim Herring, state adjutant general for the American Legion. Current members of the American Legion, the American Legion Auxiliary or Sons of the American Legion are eligible. For more information, call Herring at 352-4986.

Complaints of price gouging and other illegal trade resulting from the storms should be directed to the attorney general's office. The office also will explain contractual obligations regarding home repairs and emergency services. Call Leslie Staehle, special assistant attorney general in charge of consumer protection, at 354-60 18. Earline Ashley, director for human resources in Rankin County, seeks temporary individual family shelters, furniture, non-electric heaters, clothing and "just about anything else we can get" for victims who remain without power. Ashley also said Brandon's First Baptist Church, on South College Street across from Brandon High School, needs volunteers for several services.

Call Ashley at 825-1309. Several businesses, organizations and individuals have undertaken small, specialized aid campaigns to collect clothing and assist Rankin County survivors in cleanup efforts, the sheriff's office said. Interested parties should call the Rankin County Board of Supervisors at 825-1475 or the Brandon police at 825-7225 for additional information. I. "A Michel Stapleton The Clarion Ledgof Chrysanthemums are flanked by rain-soaked pews at the Sylvarena Baptist Church on Monday.

A Sunday tornado demolished the church's sanctuary. Docks stop sti 3 SCAt IN MILES Sylvarena lsC Statewide: Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, 352-9 100. American Red Cross, 353-5442. Bay Springs: Jasper County Civil Defense, 764-3800. Brandon: St.

Luke's Episcopal Church has food, clothes and pots and pans for tornado victims. Enter at the parish hall, 401 College 825- 5839. Kosciusko: Kosciusko-Attala County Civil Defense, 289-6478. Kosciusko Fire Department, 2 16 W. Jefferson has food and clothing for tornado victims, 289-1171.

Leake County: Volunteer Fire Department, County Line Road, Barnes community, 267-3186. Leake County Civil Defense, Malcom McDonald, emergency management director, 267-5757. Mount Olive: Red Cross Service Center open at City Hall. Victims can apply for additional Red Cross assistance, such as housing, groceries, clothing, occupational supplies and household furnishings, and receive referrals to other agencies. Prentiss: Red Cross Service Center open at the National Guard Armory on U.S.

84 west. Same services as in Mount Olive. Weir: Weir Police Department, 547-6 1 23. Bay Springs SffiBrv I JASPER COUNTY COUNTY "Nothing left" of some homes in Sylvarena, a Smith County town of 1 10. By Arnold Lindsay Clarlon-Ldgr Staff Wrltar SYLVARENA Out-of-the-way Sylvarena was right in the way of a tornado that arrived in Smith County early Sunday.

By Monday, piles of debris and smoking stacks of splintered lumber marked where houses had stood in the town of 110. "We've got families that don't have nothing," Mayor Donald James said. James said he couldn't estimate how many houses, buildings and mobile homes had been damaged. But he described the damage as the worst he had seen. "It's gone.

It's nothing left," said Beutll Yelberton, whose Mississippi 18 home was torn in half. Yelberton put the tornado's strike precisely at 12:25 a.m. Robert L. Sorey, who coordinated the repair efforts of Southern Pine Electric Power Association, said he expected most electrical service to be restored by late today. "We have worked around the clock," said Sorey, whose crews were helped by other power associations.

At noon Monday, about 1,000 remained powerless, except those fortunate enough to have generators. More help was on the way: The Salvation Army was to set up in Sylvarena Town Hall today to accept donations of clothing and other items to give victims. Volunteer firefighters said they would move generators to houses to keep freezers temorarily running. American Red Cross officials were to move into the volunteer fire department and take charge of feeding victims and relief workers. Area churches and the 20 volunteer firefighters served about 1,200 meals Sunday and were dishing out more Monday, said Carlton Ivey, volunteer fire chief.

Coca-Cola donated soft drinks, and local restaurants provided food, he said. Jody Houston of Sylvarena inspected damage at First Baptist Church, which had planned a 125th anniversary celebration for Sunday morning. Instead, the tornado knocked down the sanctuary's roof and walls and tossed the steeple into a field a few hundred yards away. Behind the church, the family life building collapsed. Next door, the parsonage roof and windows were missing.

First Baptist had been rebuilt about four years ago at a cost of more than $400,000, Houston said. Church member James Parker said the tornado has "made everybody pull together." Betty Sue Balliet, wife of First Baptist pastor Alan Balliet, said she was pleased Tuesday just to get a toothbrush and enjoy a cup of coffee. "You learn to appreciate the little things," she said. MM ID MileislfrpiTi Brannl65 l.i..J,,i "That's when my electric clock stopped," he said. Many who still had partial roofs over their heads were without electricity or water.

Brandon: Red Cross shelter at National Guard Armory, Mississippi 468, John Bergman, shelter manager, 825-2 142. Florence: Red Cross shelter at Florence Middle School, 2 1 1 E. Main, 845-2862. Kosciusko: Kosciusko Fire Department, 216 W. Jefferson 289-1 171.

Mount Olive: Red Cross shelter at Mount Olive Attendance Center, 100 School 797-3939. Weir: Red Cross shelter at Weir High School gymnasium, 547-6428. Disaster victims who are J.C. Penney customers can call 1 -800-243-8500 to arrange for charge payment deferrals. 3 Rankin County: College Street (also known as Brandon Star Road) from U.S.

80 to Mississippi 468. Mississippi 468 from College Street to Whitfield Road will reopen at 6 a.m. today, but Duncan's Mobile Home Sales Service park entrances will remain closed. Easthaven subdivision (closed except to residents). Rankin County public schools reopen today.

University Christian School in Brandon remains closed. 1 1 irtt ws-i) i SWSIMftSK v. I I I i HW-v HtHm 1 iHV fi A TATTALAVf-J NOXUBEEl. v. "Vdf LEKE NESHOBAl KEMPER i VI of tXA, 1 8COTT A h'S RANKIN SMITH JASPER CLARKE "4 I QM i 3 I 1 Ml 'AAX j.

N. (J 1 v. Jackson schools will send 10 counselors to schools in Brandon and Florence today to assist Rankin County counselors working with elementary, middle and McLaurin High School victims of Sunday's tornado. The district also has offered two generators to Rankin schools that are still without power. POSTAL SERVICE The Brandon and Florence post offices have arranged for Rankin County tornado victims to pick up mail: In Brandon from 1 p.m.

to 3 p.m. today and Wednesday at City Hall, 201 N. College St. In Florence from 9 a.m. to 11a.m.

today and Wednesday at the old Stevens Grocery location, corner of Seventh Day Adventist and Traylor Roads. Customers also can purchase stamps and get change of address forms to have mail forwarded. For more information, call postmasters in Brandon at 825-2552 and in Florence at 845-2490. 1 Her Is an updated county-by-county report on tornado damages, deaths and Injuries as of lats Monday: 1. Attala County Fifty people were left homeless after 36 homes were destroyed or severely damaged.

Twelve people injured in an area five miles south of Kosciusko. A shelter was set up at Magnolia Bible College in Kosciusko. 2. Choctaw County The American Red Cross set up a shelter at the Weir High School. The small town, located northwest of Louisville, suffered one death and 27 injuries.

Fourteen homes were damaged. 3. Clarke County Some of the power was restored to areas hit by Saturday's storm. The sheriff's office reported no new damage Monday. 4.

Coplah County No new reports of damage. Saturday's tornado destroyed one home and slightly damaged three others. 5. Covington County The Red Cross opened a shelter at the Mount Olive High School to accommodate about 50 left homeless by the storm. Thirty-two homes were destroyed and 55 were damaged.

More than 100 were injured. 6. Humphreys County Airport hangar on Mississippi 12 West destroyed. One house received minor damage. 7.

Issaqusna County Trees down west of Valley Park. Several antennae were toppled and a tool shed was damaged. 8. Jaspsr County Two homes and two mobile homes destroyed. Major damage to six homes and one mobile home.

Minor damage to 10 homes and one mobile home. Multiple roof damage, trees and power lines down, roads blocked. Approximately $4 million in timber damage. The Red Cross opened a shelter at the Bay Springs Community Center. 9.

Jsffsrson Davis County A shelter was opened at the Claridge Motel in Prentiss. Five people were injured and 14 homes destroyed, mostly in an area about five miles east of Mount Carmel and Bassfield on Mississippi 42. 10. Kemper County One dead. Two mobile homes and one home destroyed; and several homes sustained minor damage.

11. Lauderdale County A tractor-trailer business had its roof blown off. Two vehicles received damage. Trees and power lines were felled. Most of the damage occurred on Mississippi 19 South near the Alabama line.

One mobile home was destroyed. One home suffered major damage and two received minor damage. 12. Loako County One killed and four injured. Three homes were destroyed.

Eight homes received major damage and seven had minor damage. Nine farm buildings were destroyed and 22 chicken houses destroyed. Also, four automobiles were destroyed. 1 3. Lincoln County Some power lines remained down Monday.

Three injuries were reported. Four homes were destroyed and five near Brookhaven received major damage. 14. Rankin County State and federal officials surveyed the damage in the hardest hit county, where 10 were killed and around 100 injured. Fifty to 60 homes were destroyed.

Power remained out in much of the county. Extensive damage occurred in the Brandon area and the Florence area. At least 30 mobile homes located in Duncan's Mobile Home Sales and Service park were destroyed. The Mississippi Department of Transportation is assisting in clearing roads for rescue units. A shelter was set up at the National Guard 1 13th Military Police Unit headquarters southwest of Brandon on Mississippi 468.

15. Neshoba County Two mobile homes were destroyed with four homes and a church receiving major damage. Sixteen homes suffered minor damage. A church was damaged in the House community. There were no injuries.

Rankin County residents can dispose of storm debris at a marked site five miles east of Brandon on Shiloh Road. An attendant will be present. Statewide: American Red Cross, Disaster Relief Fund, P.O. Box 5068, Jackson MS 39296-5068, 353-5442 (money only; other donations should be made to churches or community organizations). Salvation Army, 426 W.

Pascagoula Jackson MS 968-3999. Jackson: The Jackson Zoo is broadening its Zoo Unto Others project to aid tornado victims. On Thursday the zoo will accept non-perishable or canned food items as admission and send the food to Community Stewpot. Clothing and toy donations will be delivered to tornado victims. For details, call 352-2585.

Rankin County: Donations of food, clothing and other items can be taken to: Sunflower, 132 S. Church Florence, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., sponsored by Jackson Jaycees. Sack and Save, McLaurin Mart, U.S. 80 East, Pearl, all day, 948-5318, sponsored by Miss 103 radio station.

Sack and Save, 5320 1-55 Jackson, all day, 948-5318. Kroger, Crossgates Boulevard and U.S. 80, Brandon, sponsored by Oldies 94 radio station. 825-3373. National Guard Armory, Mississippi 468, Brandon.

University Christian School, 127 Pleasant Brandon. Brandon Presbyterian Church, 209 S. College. Bay Springs, Jasper County: Pine Belt Chapter, American Red Cross, P.O. Box 2913, Laurel, MS 39442, 426-907 1 (monetary donations only).

Kosciusko: Providence Baptist Church, Mississippi 14. Jerusalem Church, Center Road, Kosciusko. Leake County: Volunteer Fire Department, County Line Road, Barnes community, 267-3186. Prentiss: National Guard Armory, U.S. 84 West, Prentiss, 792-44 13.

Taylorsville: Pine Belt Chapter, American Red Cross, P.O. Box 2913, Laurel, MS 39442; 426-9071 (monetary donations only). By staff writers Sarah Campbell, Christine Uthoff and Butch John 16. Newton County A privately owned Beechcraft four-passenger airplane was destroyed. One business suffered major damage.

One mobile home was destroyed and two were damaged. Four permanent homes were damaged as well as six barns and two airport hangar rooftops. 1 7. Noxubee County Fifteen were injured; 18 permanent homes were destroyed or had major damage. Seven mobile homes were destroyed.

18. Scott County Four mobile homes destroyed near the Ludlow community. 19. Simpson County Two people injured, including one who lost a finger. Seven homes and four mobile homes were destroyed.

Two farm buildings destroyed. Also, Twin Lakes Church in extreme northern Simpson County, just south of Florence, reported damage. 20. Smith County The town ot Sylvarena and the Mineral Wells community were hard hit. Five people injured and 10 to 12 homes destroyed in the Sylvarena area.

The First Baptist Church in Sylvarena, which had been scheduled to celebrate its 125th anniversary Sunday, was destroyed. Ten injuries reported near Taylorsville. Eighty homes were destroyed. An abandoned school was damaged. The Red Cross set up a shelter in Taylorsville.

21. Webster County Two were killed and at least four injured. Limited number of homes damaged..