‘Cayce Comeback’ one year later counters tornado’s destruction with celebration

A “Cayce Comeback Celebration” was held Dec. 10 at Cayce United Methodist Church with approximately 130 attending, held on the one year anniversary of the EF4 tornado which left a path of destruction in the small Fulton County community on Dec. 10, 2021.

The Fulton County Long-Term Recovery Group (FCLTRG) sponsored the event.

Cayce United Methodist Church pastor, Jim Wolfgang, welcomed everyone to the “celebration”, and prior to the commencement of the program, informed those in attendance the home of Charlie and Meg Vowell Roberts, just outside of Cayce, had been destroyed by fire Dec. 9. He announced a Love Offering was being accepted for the family.

FCLTRG Chairman Mark Dowdy thanked Cayce UMC for hosting the Comeback Celebration and each one in attendance.

“We do have a representative from the Federal government, Sen. Rand Paul’s representative Bill Matthews, here with us today. Austin Wetherington, with Rep. James Comer’s office is also here. I’m going to ask Mr. Matthews to come up as he has a presentation to make,” Dowdy said.

“First off, I’m a back row Baptist myself and I feel like I’m in trouble sitting on the front row. Today already feels like a blessing to me. I live about four and a half hours’ drive from here and I handled a lot of FEMA work for Sen. Paul. I get to travel the state when the weather gets bad and see the devastation. I would like to say my favorite Bible verse is Psalm 27:1, The Lord is my light and my salvation and I shall not fear. When we look back at the fear this devastation caused one year ago in this community and others, all I can say is when you have Jesus, that is all you need,” Matthews said.

Matthews then read an entry for Congressional Record Sen. Paul wrote in observance of the tornado that impacted Cayce and other parts of Kentucky in December of 2021.

The Record stated, in part, “to every first responder, local officials and every man, woman and child involved there was remarkable strength demonstrated in the face of adversity. Communities have grieved together, served together, hoped together, and rebuilt together. We can see the hope as towns rebuilt, and communities regain shape. We continue to press forward and care for our communities.”

“When Kentuckians suffer, we, the high ranking officials suffer. When Kentuckians achieve and have victories like this today, we are also here to share those victories. I want to thank you all and to continue to do what you are doing. Continue to make Kentucky proud,” Matthews said.

Following the recognition of Federal officials, State officials were recognized.

State Sen. Jason Howell, who grew up in Fulton County and attended school in Cayce was in attendance.

Dowdy also recognized Buddy’s Wrecker Service and Allen’s Wrecker Service, for their part in raising the American flag at the former Cayce Volunteer Fire Department in Cayce.

“I would also like to thank Tosh Farms for donating the barbecue for today’s meal and through the FCLTRG, the sides were provided by Vaughn’s Grill of Fulton,” Dowdy said.

County officials were recognized including Fulton County Judge/Executive Jim Martin, Magistrate District 2 Wade Adams, and Fulton Constable Doug Bradley.

“For all our First Responders and Emergency workers, would you raise your hands. I always recognize these emergency workers and first responders, but there was a time I often forgot the utility workers. They worked very diligently to restore our services. This year, I want to recognize our survivors. If you are a survivor, raise your hand. Thank you for being here. As we know, this tornado traveled 11 counties, 165.7 miles and took 81 lives. One of those, was one of our own residents, Wade Martin Lihl. I want us to take a moment of silence to remember he was loved by his wife Holly, his sister Dawn, and several nieces and nephews. His absence from MTD and our community is noticed,” Dowdy said.

“FEMS became the lead in promoting the disaster recovery. FEMA required a long-term recovery group be established. On Feb. 16, the LTRG was formed. The Fulton County Long-Term Recovery Group was formed to be made up of representatives from the faith-based, non-profit business and other organizations working within a community to provide case management to the most vulnerable. I would like to ask those who are serving on our FCLTRG to please stand. Cayce, these are the men and women who have been diligently meeting every week from Jan. 16 through April 27, and from May 4, we have been meeting twice a month. These men and women have a volunteer part to help. I would like for you to show your appreciation to this committee,” Dowdy said.

Dowdy shared the organizations that have come and helped with the recovery of Cayce include Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Convoy of Hope, Lutheran Disaster Relief, United Church of Christ, United Hope, Samaritan’s Purse, Hope in a Box, Project Recovery, Habitat for Humanity, Community Foundation of Western Kentucky, and others.

Dowdy told the group gathered that one good thing that came out of the tragedy is Project Recovery.

“These men and women have been diligent of attending meeting every Tuesday at 5 p.m., at Cayce UMC for those needing counseling. If I understand, there funding is getting ready to run out. Tell the government, give us another six months for this service,” Dowdy said.

Habitat for Humanity Chairman of the Board Cherry Pyron provided an update on the homes being built in Cayce.

“I would like to introduce you to Dionne Keene, who is the first person we have hired to help with Habitat, through a grant we received. We had the opportunity as a Habitat affiliate to help one of our partners, Barbara Atwill. Her house got smacked pretty good. We always thought a tree would fall on her house from the other direction. But this one fell from the East. It knocked the wall half out of her house, which we believed saved the house from total destruction. I called Barbara a few moments after I realized it (the tornado) was over in Cayce. She said I can’t get out of the house. The ceiling had fallen and she was trapped. She then said, wait, someone is pounding on my door. Bro. Jim had banged on the door and asked if she was okay. She told him yes and he left to check on other neighbors,” Pyron said.

Pyron said Habitat started over on Atwill’s house.

“It was a great opportunity to work on her house twice. We rededicated her house on the six-month anniversary on June 10. We were blessed and she was two. She wanted a porch on the front of the house and she received insurance money and had a porch built,” Pyron continued.

Pyron reported Habitat knew there was a need in Cayce for more than Barbara Atwill’s house restoration. She said the Board decided three homes would be built.

“We build one house a year, and we are lucky to get one built. God and many, many people, Bro. Jim and Bro. Mark and the people here have supported the rebuild. We made the commitment. We are just about finished with the homes. God is doing this work. We will have a dedication in Cayce next Saturday, if you would like to come back,” Pyron said.

She offered gratitude for the Habitat homes, noting it would not have been done had it not been for the help of Judge Martin, Fiscal Court, Steven Williams, John Elliott, and incredible workers from Fulton County Detention Center.

A slide show was viewed in the fellowship hall of the three homes, including those of Charlie and Charlotte Bolton, Jacob and Nikki Henderson and Carmen, and Dell and Jennifer Elliott.

A group from Calvary Baptist Church in Union City, who usually go to Texas to help, came to Cayce and worked on the Bolton house. “Care-A-Vaners” also came and stayed for five weeks to help with the rebuild, with one group from Florida at the Cayce site when a hurricane hit and destroyed their home.

Fulton County Judge/Executive Jim Martin addressed the crowd, stating “We have a fantastic group working on the FCLTRG. They were way out front of everyone else. We had to back up doing a great job. Legislatures on both sides did a great job for our County. The streets you are driving on in Cayce came from the State with an appropriation that Sen. Jason Howell made. We have some issues to resolve with FEMA and insurance companies before we can rebuild the fire department in Cayce.”

“There are so many heroes. State Legislature created citations and I have four to present. How do you take four citations and recognize the hundreds of people involved? I narrowed it down to groups to be displayed in locations that really represent everyone. The first place I would like to display a citation is this church that has provided a lot of services at Cayce United Methodist Church. The second citation goes to Cayce Baptist Church. The third citation goes to Wade Adams, Chief of Fulton County Fire and Rescue to be displayed, and the fourth citation goes to the Fulton County Office Building, as an umbrella going to the Judge/Executive’s office, the Sheriff’s Office, and Fulton County Emergency Management, the cities of Fulton and Hickman for their Fire Departments. They were all here working,” Martin said.
“We have been asked to create a signature project. Fulton County was one of 40 counties in the United States to be selected for this project,” Martin said.

Dowdy said he wanted to come up with a way to say thank you.

“I was going to get plaques and give to the Fire Department and say this is the first building block for the building. J.L. and Melanie Atwill came up a very unique idea,” Dowdy said.

To conclude the morning session, bricks with the outline of Kentucky and individual’s names were handed out to people who have gone above and beyond including members of Fulton County Fire and Rescue, Emergency Medical Services, city of Fulton Fire Department and Police Department, and Hickman Fire Department and Police Departments, Project Recovery, Cayce Baptist Church, Hickman Rotary, and Fulton County Detention Center.

Lunch was served in the fellowship hall of the church, then the community gathered in the sanctuary to listen to a program by Beau Dodson Weather, who gave his account of the weather conditions contributing to the Dec. 10, 2021 tornado.

“It’s important to preserve our stories. The darkness of the night of December 10, 2021, will be long remembered as a time of great destruction across western Kentucky and surrounding states. A tornado of immense proportion roared across four states, striking terror in the hearts of every resident in its scoured path. The dawn of December 11th would bring to light such devastation and loss of life that to this day we mourn. Even as I type this, one year later, debris is still being removed from farmlands and city blocks. Before December 10th, if you would have asked me “what is the worst local weather event that I have experienced?” then I would have told you the 2009 ice storm. For years after the ice storm, you could drive through western Kentucky and see the tree damage. Now, the December 10th tornado outbreak will take its place. It is the exclamation point of a lifetime of weather memories. I pray we never experience another event like it,” he said.

He recalled how the night of December 10, 2021 will forever be a part of who we are. It changed us. It shook our core, he said, adding the tornadoes were traumatic for everyone. Those who lost loved ones. Those that were struck and lost their homes and livelihoods. First responders. Those that had to forecast it. Those that watched it unfold on their living room television sets.

He reported how tornado watches were issued well ahead of the storms and when Cayce, Kentucky was next to be hit, homes, businesses, and farm buildings were tossed into the air, churned into a salad of debris.

“Radar showed a large curving echo. Forecasters call this appendage a hook echo. A counterclockwise rotating motion. It is one sign that a tornado may be developing or already occurring. It was massive. What storm chasers call a wedge tornado. It was a rare mile wide tornado. It was of such size that it was if the heavens had come down to earth. The sky met the ground,” Dodson said.

Following Dodson, door prizes were awarded to those in attendance with a winning ticket.