December 1999

Nothing like the movies

It was like a scene from the movie "Twister" but this was no movie. One couple will not soon forget the evening of May 3, 1999, when a tornado ripped through south Wichita and the Haysville area.

"Their car was literally picked up by the tornado and tossed around several times before slamming down in front of their house, or what was left of it," said Wendy Droge, from Family Consultation Services a United Way-funded agency.

The couple’s story goes on. The next day, as they were going through the rubble which was once their home, they found one thing untouched by the tornado’s fury, a crystal angel figurine.

Counseling tornado survivors

According to Droge, Michelle Risser and Nancy Corkins from Family Consultation Services, stories such as that were all too common. The tornado struck around 9 p.m. and members from the agency were on site as soon as 11 p.m.

Nine employees at Family Consultation Services are members of STAT, Stress/Trauma Assistance Team, and are trained to counsel those involved in critical incidents such as natural disasters. The team worked around the clock that first week. From May 3 - 23 the team logged approximately 200 hours and met over 1,800 times with tornado survivors and those helping with the cleanup. Risser said they were there to offer on-site mental health support.

"We would just ask them to tell us their story; where they were at when the tornado hit," said Corkins.

Droge remembers people wanting to tell their stories and wanting to know they were not alone.

Dealing with guilt for being spared

Those who lost their homes were not the only ones whom the STAT team helped. Many residents who were spared the tornado’s wrath felt guilty.

According to Risser it is not uncommon for others to experience what is known as survivor’s guilt. She, herself, felt guilty for being able to go home to a "normal life."

Survivors, not victims

The stories of survival are too numerous to tell, from those huddled in the closet of their home to others kneeling in their bedrooms praying.

Droge says it is important to remember that those they helped are still alive.

"It is very important that we don’t refer to them as tornado victims; they are tornado survivors."

Call United Way of the Plains at 267-1321 to find out more about how your money is helping our community.