This is a
brief recount of the events of July the 26th 1996.
I was on days off visiting Pete
Koons up at Baldy Camp. (He was the Camp Director) I waited for a Phil-truck to
make its way up to the camp so I could grab a ride back to Basecamp. Two trucks
were scheduled to make there way up to camp and I was the only one waiting for
a ride. Things were looking up for a change.
Then two folks showed up from other
camps. One from French Henry, Mike, and the Volunteer for the mine at French Henry.
We were sitting there, and the Commissary truck showed up but made a brief
appearance and left as it had an injured camper with him.
The next truck was Patrick, one of
the Backcountry Mangers that year. All four of us climb into the truck, Patrick,
the Vol. from the state, Mike, and myself. We put our stuff into the back, packs
and various things. We start traveling down the highway and we start hearing
traffic on the CB about some strong winds and a pretty fierce storm that just
cut through Harlan. I believe there was some talk about a fence being down and
some trees being blown over. (Note: I visited later that summer and there was a
line cut where the tops of the trees had been knocked down or off.)
About 15 minutes after that, hail
started falling and we pull off the side to cover up the gear in the back. We
continued moving and then we see a State Trooper ahead moving people off the
road. When we saw the funnel dropping down out of the sky and we turn around
and head BACK UP the canyon moving as quickly as the Phil-truck would take us.
All the while Mike has his camera out and taking pictures of the twister
descending on Cimarron.
When we felt safe again we were near
the sign for Philmont, the common brown signs off the main highways indicating
Philmont lands. We all get out of the truck and step into hail and water.
Feeling much more relived, we all climb back in and travel into town to get
back into basecamp.
We travel through town and the
fairgrounds/ball fields are covered with debris. There was wood, sheets of
metal, and just about everything a town could have strewn across the fields of
the town. As we turned to go back up to camp I noticed that the Post Office was
missing...
We get back, I ditched my pack and grabbed
stuff for a SAR (Search And Rescue) in town. I got back into Patrick's truck
and went back into town. In town it looked like a convention for all the fire
engines within a 200-mile radius. Lots of lights, police, and short of the National
Guard. I stood with a group of folks who are ready to help out. I was teamed up
with a Ranger and a medic and we climbed into a Police car. We moved out over town
making sure everyone is ok, each group assigned to an area.
The only serious injury I saw the
entire time was the Ranger I was with got a nail go through his boot. The rest
of the serious injuries were already taken to hospitals. I did hang around the
bank for a short time, looking across at the missing Post Office. I also helped
pick up a few post cards and letters from Philmont Scouters back home, very surreal.
The next two weeks were recovery
weeks. I didn’t have much time to get into town to help unfortunately. One of
the bad jokes going around was that the bank was hit and money was spread all
over town!
That's my
story of the twister.
Copyright
Phillip Romans, Carney Maryland.
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Last updated: 07/15/04