Reviewing Winter Storm LEON

Winter Weather Priceless Privilege

By: Dr. Jeff Fuller

Watching the news out of Birmingham the last few days of January was interesting to say the least.  Cars parked along the interstates, stories of children unable to go home from school, parents separated from families for an extended period of time, and snow everywhere. 

Today I read with great interest a story on WSFA.com  by Mr. Ken Hare.  He went in-depth covering the stories regarding our schools where our state's school teachers and administrators stayed at their posts to protect the more than 11,000 students marooned in dozens of schools by the storm.  They did not just take a few extra hours of their personal time to do the job which was required of them because of this horrific storm that changed the southern landscape into a winter wonderland.  No, hundreds of teachers, principals and other administrators put their students first.  Sure they were probably wanting to be home with their own families, but they chose to put the students first.   

            Have you read the story or heard about my friend Mark Meadows.  I have know Mark for several years and have been impressed with his compassion and care for others.  That is the reason he is a part of a Christian organization such as Chick-Fil-A in Birmingham (Off Highway 280).  During the storm he took time to put together food for those who were stranded along the highway in front of his store.  Yet, he did not stop there, because he and the team opened up the restruruant for travelers as they gave them warmth and shelter.

Amazing news; unprepared because of forecasters predicting everything to fall south of a line which included our own Coosa County.

On Monday, January 27 the weather forecasters were saying that Coosa County would receive a dusting of snow, mixed with sleet and at that time they were not sure there would be any accumulation in the line that ran from Demopolis to Clanton to Chambers County.  Plans as of late Monday were for schools to close at noon.  Therefore, when I stepped out of the house at 7:15 Tuesday morning and sleet was steady and sticking, I had a sinking feeling things were not going to go as planned. 

Schools shut down at 10:00 AM, traffic picked up along county roads and state roads; life got very busy and hectic, fast.  With that said roads were icing quickly along Highways 280, 231, 22 and 9.  Calls were increasing and dispatchers along with officers were running from one call to the next.  There were cars in ditches, minor fender benders, and trucks unable to transverse icy bridges and steep grades.  Added to this was the fact that available towing services were unavailable due to the wreckers being stuck, unable to respond to needed situations.

The storms rapid movement into the area coupled with the increase in call volume and stranded motorist could have become a nightmare-like the problems facing Jefferson County and Montgomery County-but not for Coosa County.  No, the old motto of the scouts, “BE PREPARED,” was put to use and the theme of PROFESSIOALISM with ACOUNTABILITY was put into practice in a real, beneficial way with the help of others from the community.

By the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday we realized that there were going to be stranded truckers in Rockford with nowhere to eat.  Investigator (CCSO Reserve) Joel Glover sensed this need and knew how to meet it.  Tina Fuller was called into service and started planning a meal for the evening, fit for a southern king.

             Around 1800 hours Tina, along with Savannah Fuller, Triston McCain, Ray Weaver (AST Chaplain) and Bonnie Weaver served not only stranded truckers, but also two stranded motorist and our officers who were working in the inclement weather. 

            Rockford Baptist became a way station during the snow event, as meals were served and a place for these weary travelers to socialize and get up-to-date information regarding road conditions.  Two stranded travelers also found refuge at the church.

            One of those individuals who stayed at the church on Tuesday and Wednesday night was Rita Remson.   She is a state employee from Albertville and while attending a meeting in Montgomery was caught in the last minute shut down of all government offices.  Working her way out of Montgomery, slowly coming up Highway 231 into Coosa County, she found that she could get no further than Rockford.  Faced with a decision, she found help and hope at Rockford Church.

            On Wednesday afternoon the stranded truckers took the chance and hit the road heading for their destinations but not until they had made it perfectly clear that they were thankful to have been in a town like Rockford and a place like Coosa County.  That evening Tina and her crew prepared a wonderful meal for all emergency response workers, joined by four of the outstanding Troopers. 

            While Tina truly outworked herself and met a most pressing need, she did not do it alone.  Without the help of a lot of people, it would have been a most cumbersome task.  Savannah Fuller, Chief Wanda Avant, Ronnie and Jenny Joiner, Maxine and Dave Larmon, Rhonda Howard, Daniel Cohen, Jon and Dianna Anderson, Triston McCain, Ray and Bonnie Weaver.  Food supplies were needed since the Dollar General was closed, so we are thankful to Jenny Joiner, Jon Anderson, Sheriff Terry Wilson and Captain Mike Mull, along with Emojean Austin and Mable Austin.

            As Chaplain of the Sheriff’s Office, it is a pleasure to work with the fine folks in Coosa County, especially during difficult times such as these.  Watching people gather together to help others, giving relief to wayward travelers has blessed my heart more than I can actually tell.  It has giving me a new hope and sense of God’s great work in our world.

            We squander our time focusing on the troubles and struggles going on around our world, fretting and worrying about things we have no control over.  Seems that we get to a point where all we know to do is grumble and complain.  Yet in a time like we endured during the last week of January our focus changes and it bring with it a new sense of love, care, and compassion.  It is times like these which bring a fresh meaning of God’s people being the hands and feet of the Master.  Being obedient in little God made something big of it all.

            The story of the little boy coming to Jesus with five loaves of bread and two small fish comes to mind.  Jesus has 5,000 people before-that is the count for the men in the crowd-and that number equates to about 20,000 people.  These people are hungry and there is nowhere to get a Happy Meal at that time of the day; and Jesus is reminded they do have the money to buy them even if McDonald’s was open.  A little boy wanders in and changes the whole scene.  He has with him a basket of five pieces of flat bread and two dried fish.

The followers of the Master Teacher are shocked when Jesus tells them to sit everyone down.  They begin to think that maybe the heat has gotten to Jesus.  Jesus takes the little meal into his hands and blesses it and what happens is incredible.

“Then He instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks of hundreds and fifties. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves. He kept giving them to His disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. Everyone ate and was filled. Then they picked up 12 baskets full of pieces of bread and fish. Now those who ate the loaves were 5,000 men.” (Mark 6:39-44 HCSB)

            I would have to say that feeding an average of 20 people five meals during the snow storm in Rockford was a “fishes and loaves” moment.  We received the food items from the ones who willingly provided, added it to what we had in our panty at the house, and God performed a miracle. 

            A miracle for sure!  We had soup left over which we will feed to the teenagers and children, along with their workers, Sunday evening (an approximate total of 30 people) and there were other food items we froze and put back, just in case another storm hits soon, because you just never know.

            Pleased to have been a part of the hands of Jesus, feels a little akin to bragging.  So I believe it is best just to say I am deeply humbled by the opportunity to be used by God in a God sized task.

Tina said of the event in Coosa County and in other places around the state: “I have read many stories and seen many newscasts on the declining state of our county.  Yes, Godlessness has been running rampant through the land and moral decay is not an issue, but a fact.  After seeing the testimonies of people coming to the aid of others through this disaster has shown us all something.  God is still in our nation through His people having compassion on others in a time of great need.  I love it when God shows Himself and shows out.” 

             Dave Larmon said, “We got all positive comments from the men that move us-The Truckers.  One called his wife and told her, ‘Honey, you will not believe the hospitality that was shown to us.  Place to park our trucks [beside the] Sheriff’s Office, and honey supper and breakfast-hot ones at that-cooked at the church.’  It made my heart jump.”

            This is actually just a snapshot of the great opportunity we have had this week.  God has blessed us as we have been able to bless others.