The Paris News from Paris, Texas • Page 23

Valley Scene 9 April 14, 1 April 14, 1982 The homes, art, fashions and people of the Red River Valley Contractors repair one roof with more work waiting Messer Community Oklahoma community recovers from destruction similar to Paris MESSER COMMUNITY, Okla. The same afternoon that Paris and Lamar County were devastated by a tornado that would leave ten dead, tornado-force winds tore a path of destruction across three Oklahoma counties. The worst damage left by the storm was at the Messer Community eight miles north of Hugo. "We got it every bit as bad as Paris got Billy Wails said. "If we had" the population density here that' they, have in Paris, we would have had just as many dead." Miraculously, no one at the Messer Community was killed or seriously injured The damage toll released by Hugo Civil Defense Director Jim Risenhoover lists 40 houses and ten mobile homes destroyed at Messer Community.

"We're fortunate not to have fiad anyone hurt," Walls said. "I'd rather have given up everything than to have had my worst enemy killed in this." Messer Community, less than two weeks after the storm, shows every indication of becoming a ghost town: The debris of destroyed homes lies unattended in most cases, While only a few signs of Repair or reconstruction exist. Walls, an upholsterer, has already made a substantid start on building a new shop' to replace the one destroyed by the storm. He said his home, badly damaged in the have to wait its turn for repairs. "I'm going to live in it because I've got no place else to go," Wallssaid.

Although he said he never saw a funnel form, Walls insists that the wind that destroyed his business was partof a tornado. "If was a big dark cloud that hung in the northwest for about 20 minutes," Walls said. "To the left, you could still see daylight." Once the cloud began moving in, Walls said he gathered his family and a neighboring couple together. Less than half a minute after they reached the Walls' storm cellar, the storm hit Imagene Porter, who lives a short distance away on Highway 93, said she had gotten a telephone call from a son working in Hugo that the: storm was on its way. She and her daughter were in the process of opening windows when the storm readied Messer.

heard that that was what you were supposed to do," Mrs. Porter said. "We hadrgotten all the windows open in the living room and were heading for the bedroom when all of a sudden glass was flying everywhere." Mrs. Porter's house received roof and window damage: The house next door was destroye d. "All I saw of it was black on the left, black on the right and white in the middle," Mrs.

Porter said. "There was a sound Ike a loud clap of thunder that wouldn't stop." Mrs. Porter said that neighbors have complained that insurance companies have been slow to settle claims for damages to their homes. Comments by a contractor working in the area who did not wish to be identified mirrpred those Mrs. Porter.

"I'm bidding on some of these houses but they are all waiting on insurance," the contractor said "They can't seem to get what they think they The contractor used one house that was still intact but had been raised off its foundation during the storm as an example. "The insurance company told him they'd pay for what damage is apparent now and settle up later for any other damage that might show up with the foundation," the contractor said. "Nobody wants to do business like that." Walls, who's loss was uninsured, said that a local official conducting a damage survey stopped by his home while he was away and talked to his wife. "He told her he figured we had about $40,000 damage and drove off," Walls said "I sure can't replace what we lost for $40,000." "If we hadn't had a little money set aside, I don't know what we would -have done," Walls said. "I can't afford the interest rates they are asking for these days." Other than the Red Cross and the area churches, Walls said he hasn't seen any other relief agencies at work in the Messer Community.

"I think it's a terrible injustice to declare Paris a disaster area and not us," Walls said. "It was more or less the same storm that did us both in." "We pay the same kind of taxes here that they pay in Paris," Walls said. "I think we are entitled to the same benefits." Gov. George Nigh has requested tow-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for storm and tornado victims in Bryan, Choctaw and McCurtain counties.

Oklahoma Civil Defense director of operations Robby Robinson said he does not hold much hope for a disaster area declaration. "I don't think there is enough damage in any of these counties to receive an area disaster declaration compared to what has been needed in the past few years," Robinson said. A disaster area declaration would include grants to restore city services and grant money to affected families of up to $5,000, officials said. The Red Cross assessment of damage in the storm area lists 71 families homeless in the Messer Community and Hugo Lake area of Choctaw County. Another ten families in Valliant and24 families in Bryan County are listed as homeless.

Robinson said. Storm damage in Choctaw County was also reported at Boswell, Unger, Soper, Speer Community and Fort Towson, according to officials. Carpenter Emit Green was working alone to tear down what was left ot the house he built for his son, Billy Green. Billy lost his home and a local grocery he owned in the storm. "I have three sons here in Messer Community and I built all their houses," Green said.

"The storm got two of the houses I built and almost got the third" Behind the wreckage of the home that Green was tearing down, the dense woods have been stripped of leaves and bark. Debris hangs from the limbs instead of leaves. Raymond Forbus, an area resident, who's home received damage from the storm, said that he had no trouble collecting from his insurance company. "I think the problem is that everyone is filing at nnce." Forbus said. "Both the insurance companies I deal with have been very nice to me." A mobile home that Forbus owned located near his house has completley destroyed in the storm.

Winds were strong enough to snap off trees that Forbus has since been offered cash to sell as sawlogs. Although some residents will' need disaster relief, Forbus said he believes that many of the destroyed homes in Messer will eventually be re-built. "I just can't picture them not re-building their homes the way they were," Forbus said. Storm damaged trees being cut into firewood Story and photos by Anton Riecher 'We got it every bit as bad as 9 resident Bill Walls Emit Green finishing the job that the storm started.