'Still fresh': North Bryan County residents still reeling from deadly tornado last year
With rubble, trees and wood surrounding her, Dr. Laura McKay began wondering how she would escape. An E4 tornado just ripped through Pembroke and was headed to Ellabell. Inside what used to the Curtis V. Cooper primary care facility, McKay was surrounded by piles of debris; a wobbly roof was proof that she had a short window of time to escape.
“I knew I was about to get a direct it,” recalled McKay as the storm approached. “I got under my desk and I saw it hit the building and I saw debris flying around and then everything went black.”
It has been one year since a devastating tornado ripped through Ellabell, killing one person and leaving many residents without a place to call home. McKay and Bryan County residents alike are still recovering from the storm that tore through their tiny town.
The impact of the tornado was felt far and wide and, in some places, debris can still be found on the side of the road.
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Lingering challenges
City Administrator Chris Benson said the town did not receive cash payments from the state or federal level. However, the town’s insurance policy paid for most of the repairs.
“The state of Georgia did make resources available to the city in the time of need,” said Benson. “They provided equipment and assisted us greatly in the cleanup effort.”
McKay was on her way out of the office when she was alerted of a tornado warning for Bryan County. Everyone else was on their way home, so she took shelter in her office. Moments later, the building was torn apart.
“I just thought it was going to be a bad thunderstorm,” said McKay.
But security cameras revealed something more sinister was about to take place. Despite the destruction, phone lines were still active. McKay called 911 and waited patiently for EMS to arrive. It took one hour for a firefighter to get to her. During those 60 minutes, she watched the roof cave in little by little.
“I don't think it really hit me that it was a tornado,” said McKay. “I just didn't really know what was going on.”
Fortunately for McKay, the roof collapsed hours after she was freed. She found shelter at the firefighter’s home that rescued her and waited there until her husband came to pick her up. That would be the last day McKay treated the patients she came to know and love. Not a day goes by that she does not cry or think about them.
“A lot of the people in that part of the county are very poor and a lot of them, particularly around COVID, lost their jobs,” said McKay. “So, they lost their insurance and a lot of them don't qualify for Medicaid but they don't make enough to get insurance. We were the only medical care they were able to access, so a lot of my patients are without care. I can think of probably a dozen just off the top of my head that I know are not getting medications they need. I ended up leaving Curtis Cooper in September, mostly because it was just too difficult for me to stay there and not be able to go back to Pembroke because that's where my heart was.”
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The biggest challenge for residents is not having access to affordable primary care because the Curtis V. Cooper facility was deemed a total loss.
“We've been working hard with our partners and community to identify places for services to be provided in the interim,” said Benson. “We're still working with our partners to provide or come up with a permanent solution. So that's probably our biggest outlier right now.”
The county hopes to have the courthouse repaired by December 2024 as they are experiencing a shortage of supplies. The county’s administration building will be complete in December.
More: Tornado rips through Pembroke and Ellabell Georgia leaving a path of destruction
Hendrix Park was ravaged to pieces but is on pace to be this summer. Tennis and basketball courts have been repaired and residents can see a new turf field, fencing, lighting and more than 125 trees have been planted.
Although Benson was not in Pembroke when the tornado occurred, recent storms in Arkansas and Mississippi paint a picture of what took place. He feels a sense of community in his short time in Pembroke but said residents are still recovering from what happened.
“Just being able to drive around nearly a year afterwards and still see some remnants of it is eerie,” said Benson. “I've heard stories about the community coming together but the impact of what happened is still fresh.”
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: One year later, effects from Bryan County GA tornado still linger
