SCOTT TOWNSHIP - Work crews operated heavy equipment Tuesday to move debris and pieces of houses smashed by the tornado that struck Nappanee Thursday night.
Just outside of town in Scott Township, Kosciusko County, it was the sound of hammers that filled the air. Hundreds of volunteers arrived as early as Friday morning to help the rural Amish and Mennonite community in the area rebuild.The tornado tore off most of the roof from Duane Miller's house on CR 1350N. Miller, his wife and three children escaped to the other side of the house just before the roof caved in. Tuesday, his house was full, inside and out, of workers repairing the damage. Miller said most of the cleanup work in the area had been completed and rebuilding had begun by the beginning of this week.
"I don't know all of them; some of them came from outside the area," said Davis Mast, talking about the 50 to 60 volunteers working on his property on Hepton Road.
The workers were repairing Mast's damaged house and rebuilding three large barns and a smaller building he uses for his family welding business.
"They just showed up Friday and said they'd do it, and I said 'Okay'," Mast said with a grin.
Many of the volunteers are neighbors from the surrounding area, others come from Amish or Mennonite communities in Shipshewana, Davis County and even other states. Volunteer organizations like Mennonite Disaster Service coordinated some of the volunteer crews. Others came on their own.
"Since I grew up in this area, I knew where the damage was, so I knew where to come," said Larry Hochstetler, Shipshewana.
Hochstetler said volunteer crews rotate in and out of the area and work with a local coordinator to pick up work where the last crew left off.
Much of the rebuilding in Scott Township is progressing quickly. Mast's welding shop was only a foundation Monday. By Tuesday afternoon it was under roof with windows installed.
"The work that's being done up there is just phenomenal," said Kosciusko County Emergency Management Director Ed Rock. "There were new rafters sitting in the front yard of a house Friday morning when I got there."
Volunteer Allen Mullet, Nappanee, said teamwork and the number of available hands makes the work go quickly.
"You have got to have someone to help," said Mullet. "People just jump in and get to work. The work goes fast because everybody cooperates."
