Baptist Volunteers Tackle Tree Damage from Eureka Storm

Barking up the right trees has become a mission for some generous Eureka commuity-minded citizens.

Many residents of Shaws Garden subdivision spent all day Saturday dealing with the that hit their concentrated area at about 4:30 a.m. Saturday. But they received invaluable assistance from one group of volunteers affiliated with in Eureka who cut down and moved huge oak trees and branches.

Volunteer team leader Mike Bagwell, also a Eureka resident, said the effort is part of the Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief program. He and other volunteers started cutting and removing fallen trees from homes at about 10 a.m. and worked until dark.

Removal equipment also came from .

Also right in the thick of assisting homeowners affected by the storm damage were organized by Sheila Frost, an inspector with the . 

Frost said they walked door-to-door to let homeowners know a cooling station was being established for them at the . They also assisted the American Red Cross with passing out water and food.

Eureka Assistant Fire Chief Randy Gabel and Eureka Police Chief Michael Wiegand both had numerous comments about how neighbors were helping neighbors during the post-storm recovery. Wiegand said those who had electricity were receiving items from freezers and refrigerators for those who did not. "And some neighbors were taking on other people's pets and property. They did a great job of taking care of each other."