Herculean effort lifts base after EF-2 tornado

  • Published
  • 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --  The National Weather Service has assessed Monday night's tornado that hit the base as an EF-2 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (111-135 mph) with a 5-mile path that was 1,000 feet wide. The tornado's path extended from three-quarters of a mile east of Gravel Ridge to 6 miles southwest of Cabot.

The tornado damaged more than 100 on-base housing units, damaged three C-130 aircraft and tore roofs off and damaged many buildings in the base's flightline area. But base Airmen dusted off, picked each other up and immediately launched recovery efforts to take care of the families who were impacted by the storm.

As of Thursday morning power has been restored to approximately 80 percent of the base, but the base's mission rolled on with the early Thursday deployment of Airmen and aircraft from the 50th Airlift Squadron -- the first of nearly 20 C-130 Hercules aircraft and 1,000 Airmen slated to leave in the next week for operations in Afghanistan and Southwest Asia.

"The teamwork we've seen here has been awe inspiring," said Col. Mike Minihan, 19th Airlift Wing commander. "We are a close-knit family and our people have tirelessly worked to support families whose lives have been devastated by the tornado and at the same provide support our deployers and their families. It's been a true Herculean effort by all."

The base in now focused on providing base families whose lives were turned upside down by the storm with the resources and services needed to get back on their feet.

"Our goal is for our displaced families to be in their new homes by Monday," the colonel said. "The concern and generosity of our off-base neighbors has been unbelievable. The support from our community partners has been nothing short of spectacular. The giving nature of Arkansans is simply overwhelming...and I know that's an understatement."

People who want to donate money to support Airmen and their families impacted by Monday night's tornado can donate to the base's Good Samaritan Fund at any First Arkansas Bank & Trust Location. Designate check donations to "Tornado Relief" on your checks. For more info, call the base's Airman & Family Readiness Center at 987-6801.