Posted on May 5, 2003 | by Michael Foust

LIBERTY, Mo. (BP)--A tornado that ripped through Kansas and Missouri did extensive damage to William Jewell College, barely missed Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and left students at both schools counting their blessings.

Tornadoes killed at least 32 people across the United States May 4-5, with at least 14 occurring in Missouri and seven in Kansas. But there were no deaths or reported injuries at Missouri Baptist Convention-affiliated William Jewell in Liberty, Mo., or Southern Baptist Convention-owned Midwestern Seminary in Kansas City.

The tornado hit William Jewell in Liberty around 5 p.m. local time. Most of the buildings had some damage, and one of them -- a wing of a married student complex -- may have to be demolished, William Jewell communications director Robert Eisele told Baptist Press.

A "very preliminary" estimate of storm damage is between $15 and $20 million, Eisele added. Incredibly, no one was injured. About 70 percent of the 1,200 students enrolled in day classes live on campus, Eisele said.
"We're really blessed," he said.

As of mid-day May 5 the college was still without power. Final exams have been canceled and students have been sent home.

A resident of Liberty, Terry Lamberth of the Clay Platte Baptist Association, said many trees on campus were uprooted.

"It just looked like a war zone this morning when I went up there," said Lamberth, the association's director of missions. "... It's just remarkable that no one is hurt. We're grateful that none of the students were injured severely."

Two local Southern Baptist churches suffered damage, Lamberth said. First Baptist in Riverside had roof damage while Second Baptist in Liberty had a roof and a few cars damaged.

"I'm trying to determine what we can do," he said of the association. "... Everybody's just really pitching in."

Midwestern Seminary narrowly escaped damage.

A few tree limbs littered the yard around the Vivion Farm Home on campus. During the storm dozens of students and their families took shelter in the basement of the music building, while several stood outside and watched the tornado approaching from several miles away.

"None of us had ever seen a tornado before, and it just kept getting closer and heading toward us, but it seemed to take a different track," said student Greg Unruh. "We all saw the outer part of swirling debris, but everybody stayed pretty calm inside the basement."

Director of campus operations Randy Eaton also saw the tornado.

"It appeared to be headed directly across the campus, but it continued to keep inching in a northerly direction as it got closer," he said. "I thought it might cross the northeast end of resident housing or clip the north campus facility. The campus was just far enough south and east of its path that we escaped."

At least one faculty member's home was damaged. Several neighborhoods near the seminary suffered devastating damage.

The seminary is collecting donations of food, bottled water and other items to be given to a local relief agency for victims. It is also investigating ways students can assist with clean-up efforts.

One member of First Baptist in Pierce City, Mo., was killed. Dale Taunton, a deacon at the Pierce City church, was killed when he sought shelter in the National Guard armory along with other city residents, according to Hubert Conway, Lawrence County (Mo.) Director of Missions.

Pierce City was devastated by the storm. Wreckage made it virtually impossible to walk the streets of the town of nearly 1,400. Two bodies had been pulled from the nearly-leveled armory at press time.

First Baptist pastor Lyndall Morris said his town was hit hard by the storm, although the church building was spared.

Morris said the tornado drove a piece of glass into the neck of one of his church members who went to the hospital and is recovering.

Missouri Baptist Convention disaster relief teams fanned out across the state May 5 to help with cleanup and to provide food and water.

Several churches, including First Baptist in Stockton, Mo., served as shelters for tornado victims. It was reported that about 40 people spent the night May 4 at the Stockton church.

One 15-member chain saw team based in St. Joseph was dispatched to William Jewell College to help clear downed trees and limbs. Two other teams -- out of Poplar Bluff and Marshall -- also were mobilized.

A feeding unit based at the Missouri Baptist Convention's state headquarters in Marshall was sent to the southwest area of Missouri. The unit is capable of providing 20,000 meals a day. Another feeding unit, based at Cape Girardeau, was awaiting word on its destination.

A spokesman for the MBC disaster relief unit said he was coordinating chain saw teams from the Arkansas Baptist Convention.

"We're doing damage assessment to see where the greatest needs are," said Gary Morrow, MBC disaster relief coordinator. "We're coordinating our efforts through the State Emergency Management Administration (SEMA). Southern Baptists in Missouri are going to do all we can to respond to the needs of people affected by these tornadoes."

In Kansas, John Lucas of the Kansas Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists said he was still in the early stages of evaluating damage. Lucas is the convention's disaster relief coordinator.

"I'm sure we're going to be mobilized," he said. "I just don't know where we're going to go yet."
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With reporting by Bob Baysinger, Stacey Hamby, Don Hinkle and Alan Palmeri. (BP) photos posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo titles: DEVASTATION AT WILLIAM JEWELL and TORNADO IN LIBERTY.