Cobb and Plains — “Houses can be rebuilt...but "



I n a little over three weeks time, the small community of Cobb in Sumter County has experienced not one but three known tragedies.

First, heavy rainfall caused flooding and potentially hazardous conditions around the Flint River, evacuating some people from their homes along Flintside Drive and other streets in that neighborhood.

Last week, a five year old child, Kenneth Phillips, Jr., of Byron, visiting family, went missing and was discovered hours later — a victim of drowning in the river.

Last night’s Spring storm slammed in around 11:30 to 11:45 p.m. causing a power outage, as well as trees to be uprooted, roofs to cave in, and other damage.

It was a scene, described by one elderly onlooker, reminiscent of a the tornado that struck fear, devastation and anxiety in the city of Americus in 2007.

Pieces of debris, including roofing, insulation, trash, metal, as well as boats and wood, along with limbs, and trees lay all around.

There are houses with trees laying in the middle of them in the community. Sustaining almost a total loss was the home of former Crisp County Commissioner Ferrell Henry, and his wife, Arleeta.

Though to hear Henry speak, it was just one of those things. His eyes were a little misty as Ferrell Henry, standing among debris in what was the living room/kitchen area of his second home (Editor’s Note, he and his wife reside in the town of Cordele), said, “You know, we’re blessed. Usually, we’re out here on the weekends, and when this happened, I would have been sitting in that chair.” Henry pointed to a recliner in the middle of the living room, directly underneath a hole in the ceiling where a tree had fallen through.

Pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that his wife had completed were strewn through the area.

Knick knacks were tossed about, and in the kitchen, roofing covered the whole room. Henry shook his head,

“In the Flood of ‘94, this house was covered with water, up to here.” He put his hand up to his nose as if to indicate the level of the water.

Wife Arleeta worked nearby with friends, neighbors and others gathering up personal items to salvage and save .

Henry said “We just remodeled the house in 1996.” A beautiful pine tree lay smack in the middle of a bedroom.

A neighbor, contractor Larry Walker, who assisted with the house in 1996, said, “Yeah, and we might be thinking about relocation.”

Arleeta Henry, though small in stature, stood tall among the debris, and said, “We are so thankful for the people who came out to check the area, and help out.”

Her husband nodded, “Oh yes. The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, other emergency agencies, the Red Cross, and even some officials from Crisp County, and of course, all of our friends and neighbors. They were out here as early as 5 o clock this morning, and some before that.” Henry had been at his residence in Cordele when he received the call from a neighbor, “We got the call but weren’t able to get here until early morning.”

Looking around, putting on his work gloves, Henry said, “We’re so thankful that no one was hurt.” Henry’s next door neighbors in the Flint River community, Lee and Charlyne Hall, heard the tornado when it hit.

Lee Hall said, “People talk about that train noise, well, I heard it. It was loud. We got in our closet.”

The Halls’ vehicles were damaged as trees had fallen on them.

Henry pointed at a power line down in front of his drive, where his house partially stands.

“The power is dead. Right now, we’re safe, though I still would be cautious around the lines. When they do get it back on, I don’t know what is going to happen” Hall indicated. “The power was hooked up somewhere over there and it got knocked out.” A neighbor a few doors up the street from Hall sustained major damage as well. “Her boat house got blown over.” Up the road a piece on Hwy. 280,

The Plant Place, a nursery where many in Crisp and Sumter County shopped, is no longer standing. Though it looks like a total loss, one employee said, “We lost some trees and buildings, but we were able to salvage a few items.. Right now, with the power being out, our main problem is how we’re going to water them.”

To the right, on Cobb Cheek Road, power lines, broken power poles, and trees littered the streets.

As people walked from home to home, checking on friends and neighbors, and eyeing the damage, they saw trees were on top of cars, in the middle of homes, and broken glass was everywhere.

Leisa Cross, executive director of the Middle Flint Chapter of the American Red Cross, said, as of 3 p.m. today her agency had completed damage assessments for the Cobb area in eastern Sumter County, with 45 homes damaged, seven destroyed, seven with major damage, 15 with minor damage and 16 homes affected in some way such as shingles off, etc. She said the Red Cross had sheltered three families.

Pete Smith, Sumter County Sheriff, told the Times-Recorder via telephone, "We were blessed to not have any one injured as a result. I am really thankful for everyone who came out to help and assist. With the furlough days that Sumter County is requiring all departments to take, we are a little short handed, and I had to call in assistance from other law enforcement agencies and emergency management personnel."

Ferrell Henry, looking at what used to be the dining room window of his home, and at the figures of friends, neighbors and his wife searching through the debris, smiled and said, “You know, houses can be rebuilt.” Anyone needing assistance as a result of the storm should contact the local Middle Flint Chapter of the American RedCross at (229) 924-2026.