LERT crews continue tornado cleanup in Indiana, Illinois

With boom lifts, heavy equipment, and a lot of sweat and muscle, more than 50 Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) volunteers from churches in Indiana and Illinois have made substantial progress in helping multiple areas in both states clean up from the derecho and tornadoes that hit the area June 10-11. 

Led by Deac. Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response, and Pastor Josh Osbun,  Indiana District Disaster Response Coordinator, the teams in Merrillville, IN, and Streator, IL, have assessed 81 sites and completed chainsaw and debris removal at 60 locations over the last 2½ weeks.   

“We were able to bless homeowners served with gift cards given to us from LCMS Disaster Response,”O’Day shared. “Serving as the hands and feet of Christ, these volunteers brought Christ’s presence, hope, and compassion to many hurting people.”

LERT volunteers completed multiple sites in several of the hardest-hit neighborhoods. 

“As we would move from site to site, people would stop our vehicles and thank us for our service and for caring for their neighbors,” O’Day said. “The homeowners were very appreciative for what they felt was over and above in helping them remove trees and dangerous hanging limbs from their yards.”

As a thank you, one family put out a lunch spread for volunteers helping at their home. Another homeowner at the end of a hot day gave everyone popsicles. 

One of our homeowners sent an email of thanks. 

It read: “We will be forever grateful to all of you. We pray that others will experience the relief that we felt knowing that we are on our way back to recovery. We pray that you and your families are blessed for your kind hearts. Thanks again and we are so appreciative.”

Elsewhere in Merrillville over the weekend, 15 LERT volunteers helped at the home of Mr. and Mrs. K, an elderly couple who are disabled and live at the dead-end of a small, winding road off the highway. They had many trees that had fallen and were damaged in their large yard. 

Volunteers were able to begin clearing their property on the same day they performed the damage assessment. With a lift and two mini-Bobcats, they cleared the yard in several hours. 

“First, he couldn’t believe that we had found their home and then he couldn’t believe we could help them right away,” O’Day said. “At the end of the day, he was amazed that everything was done. Then he prayed with each volunteer and asked for a blessing over each of us.”

Earlier this week, crews met Ms. C. who was initially reluctant to ask for help but sought their assistance after she injured herself while a team was serving another homeowner on her street. 

Seeing much worse damage to her neighbors’ homes, she decided to cut up a fallen tree in her yard herself when the chain came off her chainsaw. She didn’t know how to put it back on and began using an axe to finish the job. 

Unfortunately, she missed the tree limb and hit her foot, causing extensive damage that would require surgery and several days in the hospital.

A LERT team finished the work in her yard, removing a fallen tree and a large brush pile she had started, plus some other work around her home. 

“She told us that God sent us to her at that moment in time because He knew she needed help, to have her hope restored and her spirits lifted,” O’Day recalled. “She gave each of us hugs as we were leaving, and we all felt blessed for having met and helped her.”  

Meanwhile in Streator, IL, where an EF-2 tornado had hit June 10, LERT crews worked at two homeowners’ homes, felling and removing four trees that were damaged. It had felt like a long wait, but the homeowners greatly appreciated the assistance in making their properties safe again and taking the time to be present with them on a very hot day. 

LCC extends our sincere thanks to Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Crown Point, IN, for graciously housing and hosting volunteers over the past two-plus weeks. 

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