Several buildings and residences at the Arkansas Baptist Boys Ranch were damaged by a tornado early April 3 in northern Arkansas.
The 27 residents and 10 staff members were shaken up during the EF1 tornado, but there were no injuries at the 500-acre ranch located seven miles north of Harrison. The National Weather Service confirmed the twister had winds from 86 to 110 mph.
“When the boys began getting alerts on their phones about the storm, it was (supposed to come through)” at about 12:45 a.m., said David Perry, executive director of Arkansas Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries.
The ranch’s Independence Hall collapsed in the storm, but no one was in the building that serves as independent living quarters for older teens. A chimney was ripped off at the Arapaho Family Home, leaving a hole in the ceiling; a hay barn was blown away; and a horse barn’s new roof was heavily damaged. Two additional family homes sustained major roof damage while four other buildings received some damage. The Jones Chapel and Hannah House received minimal damage.
‘Everybody is okay’
“The first words I heard when I answered the telephone at 4 a.m. was, ‘Everybody is okay,’” Perry said. “Those words put everything in perspective. We are thankful to God that all our residents and staff were not hurt. That’s all that matters.
“Our house parents and kids are handling the situation amazingly and with grace. … With God’s help and the help of Arkansas Baptists … we will come back stronger.”
The Boys Ranch serves boys who need a place to live, boys with family conflict or boys in need of behavioral guidance. Residents range in age from 6 to 17.
Perry estimated the damage to the ranch to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, saying the hay barn will need to be rebuilt. Other rebuilding decisions will be made at a later date. “It could have easily been a lot worse,” Perry said. “We’re grateful; God’s blessed us.”
Ranch resident Camerson Kinzer, 16, won’t soon forget the experience. “When it hit it was loud and … scary,” Kinzer said.
Originally from Arizona, Kinzer said he’s never experienced a tornado before. “I’m really just grateful that my Lord was there to protect all of us and no one got hurt,” he said.
Two Arkansas Baptist disaster relief teams were deployed to the ranch April 3. A chainsaw crew from White River Baptist Association helped cut up downed trees and clean up debris. The North Arkansas Baptist Association feeding unit began serving breakfast, lunch and dinner April 4 to residents, staff and contractors.
Additional help may be requested at a later date. Those interested in volunteering should email jhunt@abchomes.org.
(BP)
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