BIRMINGHAM, Ala (Reuters) – The call for help came the morning after a killer tornado pulverized a section of Birmingham 10 days ago. Gordon Smelley and his “chainsaw gang” of 11 from the First Baptist Church in Clanton, Alabama started their trailer and headed out.
“I don’t have a lot of money to give, but I can give a few hours work to help people the best way I can,” said Smelley, 72, a retired electrician for the Alabama Power Company.
Calls like the one to Smelley were repeated across the ravaged Deep South of the United States, dubbed the “Bible Belt” for its strong religious tradition. Churches led the cleanup and comfort after dozens of tornadoes left more than 300 people dead and some communities little more than piles of rubble.
These are not naive, disorganized do-gooders. They are professional volunteers with first class equipment and meticulous training.
Smelley’s crew maintains a trailer filled with chainsaws, safety glasses, chaps, gloves, extra chains and chainsaw repair tools. It is parked at a church member’s home for fast access. Similar trailers dot the parking lots of churches from nearly every religious denomination in Alabama.
Some trailers open out into “feeding units,” such as one maintained by
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