| Tornado misses church but damages area homes By Linda Worthington
UMCONNECTION STAFF As the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan swept through the mid-Atlantic states, one of the tornadoes struck the small town of Darkesville, W.Va., Sept. 16, missing by 10 feet the Darkesville UMC. The church had minor damage — loose shingles and a fence that was torn up. The tornado was only about a quarter or half-mile wide, said the Rev. Vicki Curry, pastor of the Darkesville-Payne Chapel Charge. But it destroyed or damaged the homes and small businesses of 80 victims when it struck the area at about 7 p.m.  | COURTESY OF WAYNE DEHART | A tornado ripped off this roof and did damage to many homes in Darkesville, W.Va., but left the nearby United Methodist church largely undamaged. |
The Rev. Wayne DeHart, superintendent of the Frederick District, was on the scene the next day. He said that the church had a “wobbly steeple for many years,” but it was still atop the church after the storm passed through. Across the street the roof and siding were ripped from a home, and the brick pump house next door was obliterated. The greatest damage affecting the church was to a parishioner’s expanded trailer home. The home belonging to Paul Flick, 80, a retired pastor, was completely destroyed. “Half of it is gone and what remained was condemned,” Curry said. Two other parishioners suffered damage to their homes. The Red Cross, FEMA, the sheriff’s office and fire department used the church basement as the command center to provide as much help as possible to the families whose homes were destroyed or damaged beyond current use. “We’re the cornerstone of the community,” Curry said.  | COURTESY OF WAYNE DEHART |
The agencies set up shop that evening and stayed until Sept. 21, when everyone was accounted for. The Red Cross had very few families to relocate, as most victims moved in with family or friends, Curry said. It is a small tight-knit community of lower middle class families and blue-collar workers who have lived in the area most of their lives, she said.  | COURTESY OF WAYNE DEHART |
The church was open on Sunday following the storm, except for an early service. “The road wasn’t open yet,” Curry said. A parishioner cleared the parking lot of debris and by the 11 a.m. service the road was open.  | COURTESY OF WAYNE DEHART | Many homes were damaged when a tornado struck Darkesville, W. Va., Sept.16. |
Darkesville UMC provided supper for the 80 victims and others in the community Sunday evening, Sept. 26. The meeting was organized by the Health Department to offer counseling and explain the services, applications and forms available or needed to receive disaster relief. | 
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