Trailers leveled in storm

Multiple residents living in the Big Oak Village mobile home park in Poarch on Jack Springs Road have either lost it all, need to find other homes or are looking for repairs in the aftermath of the storm that roared through the area last Friday.

David Adams, director of the Escambia County Emergency Management Agency, said the National Weather Service stated it was straight-line winds and not a tornado that destroyed and damaged multiple homes in the area.

"I really doesn't matter to those affected whether it was straight-line winds or a tornado," Adams said. "But the weather service has determined it was straight-line winds with estimated speeds of 90 to 100 mph that blew through the mobile home park.

No deaths were reported but Adams said five people were transported from the park by ambulance; two in critical condition were taken to a Mobile hospital and three were transported to Atmore Community Hospital. Adams said the Atmore hospital treated 10 people, with some being transported by private vehicle.

Bennie Alaniz, owner of the 57-unit mobile home park, said Tuesday that he is still working with insurance adjusters who have determined seven or eight homes were destroyed and another six or seven were deemed uninhabitable.

"Those numbers may change and we continue to assess the damage," Alaniz said. "Several other homes suffered damage."

He said volunteers were on the spot immediately after the storm to help residents and the Red Cross was also on the scene immediately after the storm.

He said the Red Cross is working to find immediate shelter for those who lost their homes and he's had many people call and offer donations and other services to help the residents.

Southern Pine Electric Cooperative also had crews on the scene soon after the storm to restore power to those homes not lost in the storm.

Adams said the worst damage from the storm occurred at the mobile home park but noted there was damage reported in other areas.

Adams also said rumors began that the mobile homes inside Big Oak Village were not tied down but said all evidence at the scene showed all homes were tied down.

He said the first order of business was the make sure everyone was accounted for and said neighbors and others were quickly on the scene to help clean up debris and help the residents.

"When I was on the scene in Poarch I got a call from the National Weather Service that rotation had been determined in the clouds north of Brewton but no touchdown or structural damage was reported."

Adams did say there were a few pole barns and out buildings destroyed in the Poarch area due to the storm.

Adams said he's not gotten a total amount of rainfall that came with the storm but did say there was a lot of it in a short period of time.

"The rain caused a lot of creeks across the county to jump their banks immediately," Adams said. "But most of the water quickly got out of here. Several roads were closed for short periods of time."­­­­­