APPOMATTOX COUNTY, VA – It has been a decade since a powerful and rare tornado tore through Appomattox County, leaving a lasting impact on the Evergreen United Methodist Church community.
Janet Baker, a church member, recalled the shock of seeing the damage. “To come down the road, to see the damage, it’s something you see in the Midwest, just something you don’t think would happen in this area ever,” she said. “It was like everything’s fine, everything’s fine, then boom.”
Gary Baker, also a member, remembered his disbelief when he first heard the news. “They said there’s been a tornado in Evergreen, and I said we don’t have tornadoes.”
The tornado ripped apart homes, including the house where Gary Baker’s father was sitting that night. Janet Baker described the moment: “It just so happens that Papa, his daddy, was sitting in the living room in a recliner and it didn’t touch him. It just took half of the house and he was left sitting in the recliner.”
The storm challenged what many thought was impossible in the region. “That’s just how it was, it was too warm a day at the wrong time of the year,” Janet Baker said. “When they say tornado, I don’t take it lightly anymore.”
Beverly Cyrus, another church member, said the experience has changed how she views weather warnings. “If there’s a warm day in the winter, you have second thoughts.”
For Gus Paulette, the reality of the tornado’s severity hit when he heard about a fellow church member. “He said the farm is okay but a tornado came right through Evergreen and Keith Harris, one of our church members, we can’t find Keith, and his home was picked up. So then I realized the severity of it.”
Keith Harris was the only person who died during the tornado.
While the storm caused destruction, church members say the support from neighbors and the wider community helped them heal.
“So many people flocked in to help, and that’s the thing that I remember, is how the community, the surrounding community, everyone just came to help,” Gus Paulette said.
Stella Carter, also a member, said the community came together like family. “What happens to one person in this church, it comes together as a family. They’re all there to help you regardless of the situation, and not only for this church family but for others in the community or anywhere else that needs help, this church is right there.”
Beverly Cyrus reflected on the lasting impact of the experience. “We have more positive memories than negative ones from the whole experience just because of people who came and shared God’s love through their help.”
Despite the loss and damage, what lingers most for Evergreen United Methodist Church members is the love and support that followed the storm.