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tween the top part—which is the
<br /> sealed off the affected areas.That critique will include things like e the opart — and the
<br /> Waters gave rescue-and work crews easy what equipment and resources government
<br /> access to the area and kept gawkers were available and what things we bottom part—which is the people
<br /> and looters out did quickly,what things we did too affected—there's a lot of things
<br /> ^�ntlnued from Page Al that need to happen.From the first
<br /> Waters quickly established a _ slowly,' Waters said. phone tail, my communications
<br /> Moments,after.the. tornado-,. staging area,where individual vol-._.• He had praise for a number of phof they did my a tremendous tabs
<br /> ruck, that meant getting pars- unteers and crews from neighbor- groups., - .-.. That hey i sending the right
<br /> medics and police to the four-mile ing towns reported for assign- •Town and county government crews included the gse sending and sight
<br /> stretch of devastation.Waters cre- mens. By Tuesday, he had insti- officials: "Our success was based to an"internal callback list" that
<br /> -'iti'911 telecommunlcators with tuted_.a-pass system so that only on a willingness to cooperate. included an in Waters and other
<br /> 3ntacting him, other emergency residents and approved volunteers When you're dealing with a multi- incl u e W response o n dalo.
<br /> :am members and police and am- could-titter the disaster zone.Two jurisdictional area,that sometimes emergency P
<br /> valance crews. Police from agen- hotlines were established, one for sets up a roadblock •Police and other rescue workers
<br /> des,throughout•the county con- residents in need of service and one "If[County Manager]John Link They walk into something that
<br /> verged on the residential areas and for people with goods or services to and [Hillsborough Manager] Eric they hear us talking about and
<br /> rrmlarlds,picking through spun- volunteer. Johnson had not made a commit- know they will need chain saws to
<br /> •
<br /> red homes and roads choked by Waters worked long hours over ment early on to cooperate with get through and they won't know
<br /> iature,uprooted trees to find the the next three days. He returned each other...things could have where they're at" because of the
<br /> dead and injured. ' • home after 10 p.m. Monday and gotten a lot more complicated than darkness,said Waters.The work-
<br /> I Meanwhile,Waters had arrived was back at work before 6 a.m, the storm could have caused. ere knew they first had to perform
<br /> I nd began working on the second .Tuesday. In a 72,-hour stretch,he "When we called them early that rescue duties and account for all
<br /> ■
<br /> priority, restoration of services. slept about 15 hours. morning, they walked into the the families. A second assessment
<br /> , :hainsaw crews had to cut open Waters said he gets "some per- EOC[Emergency Operations Cen- of victims had to be done,and then
<br /> roads—vital to the relief effort— sonal satisfaction from knowing ter],received theirbriefing,and my they had to manage all other police
<br /> and utility companies were con- you were a part of an institution staff and the telecommunicators and rescue operations.
<br /> `acted to restore power. that had a beneficial impact. got a feeling that they were approv-
<br /> At the same time,Waters began .. "But there's no sense of personal ,ing our action.And that helps that "You get some pride that they
<br /> ,ddressing what he called"imme- satisfaction. Instead of being too person on the telephone taking all 'were listening'during all the train-
<br /> uick to pat ourselves on the back, those calls and talking to all those log sessions, Waters said....- diate needsoug i.•.._'-c, " ..
<br /> i^{"EVe though quick
<br /> weighed what,we did well crews feel like they were doing •Volunteers: "Hundreds-and
<br /> t. ."Even.though you find all the against what we could have done what mattered." • hundreds had services to offer and
<br /> inthe you can't just leave them better," •Tornado victims: 'They were wanted to be of assistance and
<br /> in the street"The American Red
<br /> loss was contacted,a shelter site That self-critique will continue disbelief„ but the a state be were willing p put w them
<br /> was established.Food and drinks Monday, even while Waters re- disbelief,.,.but air seemed atience It
<br /> 's traiintst to control want to hem
<br /> were stockpiled for distribution to turns to directing public works g P
<br /> victims,. rescue personnel and crews, organizing volunteer help and a willingness to let the organ- but then being required to get
<br /> work crews. and establishing a Red Cross- zation work in a systematic pass and being asked what I conk
<br /> 1 Within a few hours after the government service center to pro- matter." •
<br /> do and what kind of equipment
<br /> tornado roared through,police had vide assistance to the victims.The- •Telecommunicators: In. be- had.'
<br /> ■
<br /> . ra( oun tY to o p en tondo aid. center j
<br /> . .„..,.. .3y°4Y GRONBERG v\\\rhkl . — TT-
<br /> -._ . , the SBA.
<br /> 1, hapel Hill Herald " " `q., S01Cl,,.i,, a We NXl11t to ,. "We should hear within a few days,"
<br /> .LSBOROUGH - Orange County of- b t1 Myers said.
<br /> icials wil7'open a one stop service center jointly en the victim doesn't have But Waters said local officials aren't
<br /> o where
<br /> .... .victims of last week's tor-
<br /> - waiting on the SBA's decision.
<br /> -1 can'sign up for financial aid and to go from place to place We don't want the SBA loans to be'a
<br /> A- r assistance. = to place." - roadblock to us,"he said."There will be a '
<br /> urfidals say they're hoping to coordi- lot of people to fall in the category of not _a
<br /> sate and streamline public and private re- NICK WATERS - needing an SBA loan."
<br /> is"efforts to simplify matters for;resi- COUNTY DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES The center will be able to process ap-
<br /> de:= s of the battered neighborhoods.:: plications for the SBA money if it comes •
<br /> .'s something we want to do jointly so The center will open today, although through, he added. Its main effort, how-
<br /> -.he victim doesn't have to go from place details about the center's staffing and op' ever, will be focused on directing victims
<br /> :p place to lace,"_said Nick Waters, Or- to the aid program or agency appropriate
<br /> P erations are still being worked out.--'. , to their needs.
<br /> ar ....County's director of emergency ser-
<br /> vi' 1.4i:-._ So far, about 115 families affected by Those who don't qualify for any kind of
<br /> the tornado have applied for aid, accord-
<br /> The governmental assistance will be referred
<br /> 'A center will be located in the Court ing to county officials.The Red Cross esti- to private relief groups such as OCIM and
<br /> Sweet Annex in Hillsborough,which until mates that another 35 families have yet to
<br /> tl year housed the county manager's of- sign up.
<br /> the Salvation Army,Pryor-Cook said.
<br /> fi It will be run in cooperation with the Cleanup efforts in the neighborhoods
<br /> cc ity's American Red Cross and Orange Local authorities are still waiting to damaged by the tornado are nearly coon-
<br /> Congregations in Mission,Waters said, hear whether the federal Small Business plete.Officials estimate that 80 percent of
<br /> Administration will make a low-interest the debris left by the storm has been
<br /> -P-rd Cross workers have been screening
<br /> a applications in a gym at Orange High loan program available to Orange County hauled away.
<br /> Sl )ol since the tornado struck. But they tornado victims. officials But ocials remind anybody who asks
<br /> have to close that operation by Thursday State officials applied for the money last that the clean-up effort is only their first
<br /> and will be moving into the Court Street week, said Joe Myers, director of the N.C. step toward recovery. _
<br /> o'7-.:e,said Marti Pryor-Cook,the county's Division of Emergency Management. But "We're looking at a fairly lengthy pro-
<br /> d ctor of social services. they still haven't gotten a response from cess,"Waters said
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