May 25 was one of the darkest days Iowa has seen in a generation. But it was also a day that construction contractors from across northeast Iowa can look back on with great pride.
A month has passed since an EF 5 tornado, the strongest storm possible on the Enhanced Fujita scale, ripped through tiny Parkersburg, killing eight people and flattening 240 homes, public buildings and businesses. In a few horrifying moments, the southern third of the town was devastated as the ¾-mile-wide funnel passed through.
But later that evening, as the extent of the damage became known, an army of workers with heavy machinery and excavating know-how rolled into the streets of Parkersburg to help homeowners begin to dig out of the rubble. Contractors from across the region didn’t wait to be asked for help. They didn’t inquire about who was going to pay for their work. They just dug in.
THEY CAME FROM ALL OVER
Even a few weeks ago, after national disaster cleanup company DRC Emergency Services, of Mobile, Ala., was awarded a $5.49 million bid to clean up the mess—they’re estimated to move 750 tons of rubbish per day—area contractors still feel obliged to help out, sometimes still getting nothing in return. A Waterloo Courier news account 10 days after the tornado said that equipment from 20 different contractors was counted working on cleanup.
For a couple of contractors I talked to recently, it was just a matter of treating Iowa neighbors the way they’d want to be treated if the tornado struck their hometown.
Cork Peterson, of Peterson Contractors Inc., in nearby Reinbeck, says it was his “moral responsibility’’ to help out in a time of need. Between 50 and 60 employees donated their time to work on the early cleanup efforts, and nobody was being paid.
“We ate the expenses. And I’m very confident that for first two or three days, all of the contractors—there were 10 or 12 out there—were doing the same thing,’’ Peterson says. “There was nobody to pay you and no place to sign up and have someone say, ‘come and get your check.’ “
Peterson said many of his workers have strong connections with Parkersburg. Some live there, others have family in the small town. Many also serve as volunteer firefighters in communities that surround Parkersburg. The disaster response was the neighborly thing to do, even if it impacted other work the company is committed to do.
“If it happened in our town, people would be helping us out, there’s no doubt in my mind about that,’’ he says. “The employees took pride in what they did. The company took pride in it. And the Iowa construction industry should be proud of its efforts.’’
MIDWESTERN KNOW-HOW
Peterson immediately responded to the tornado with a few excavators, skid-loaders, trucks and a generator. The generator proved critical right off the bat. The tornado knocked out power to the entire area, shutting down the local sewer plant. The company scrambled to the plant and hooked up the diesel power generator to restore sewer treatment after several hours.
The company also helped relocate the contents of City Hall to a temporary location so important business like issuing building permits could begin. One of the excavators picked up a file cabinet in the ruins of city hall and workers found a bank bag full of money and checks from a business down the street, returning it to a relieved business owner.
Familiar with relief efforts in the Gulf Region following Hurricane Katrina, Peterson believes rural Midwestern regions are better equipped to deal with such disasters. He says there are so many farmers in the area who have tractors and experience using heavy equipment and they descended on the town from all directions, making the work go quicker.
Bob Cole, of Cole Excavating in Greene, Iowa, about 30 miles north of Parkersburg, was also one of the first contractors to arrive in Parkersburg. About 10 days after the tornado, Cole was still working two excavators and a skid-loader, with two machines working on paid insurance jobs and another working for free.
“The homeowners are sorting through their personal belongings and looking for anything they can salvage,’’ Cole says. “You go in there and pick up some stuff off the pile so they can get a chance to look around, then you might go on to the next house for a while.’‘
It can be a delicate operation, according to Cole. It takes a light touch on the excavator to sort and help keep an eye out for valuables and family heirlooms. A big disaster zone like this can be a chaotic work environment, with more citizens, cleanup crews and machinery than a worker is used to on a typical construction site. And the ground around a collapsed home can be unstable and difficult to maneuver around.
PITCHING IN
Cole, whose company was coincidentally featured in an EQ contractor’s profile earlier this month, says the work is rewarding and humbling. And, an odd outcome is that as a contractor, you gain a measure of respect for your day-to-day competitors who also showed up to help.
“Usually you’re bidding against each other for jobs and butting heads all the time. Then something like this happens and all of the sudden everybody is working together,’’ Cole says. “They’re not that bad of guys after all.’‘
Cole says some paying work came his way after a few days as insurance companies started paying homeowners’ claims. The pay helps offset the $200 to $500 he says it costs in daily labor, fuel and wear and tear for each piece of equipment. After running multiple machines at his own cost for a few days, he welcomes the work.
As long as construction contractors attack disaster relief work knowing the inherent dangers, Cole suggests jumping in to help a neighbor is the right thing to do.
“Just don’t jump in too quick without thinking about every move you’re making,’’ he says. “But if they ever get a chance to help out in a situation like this, I would recommend that they do it.’‘
The efforts of construction contractors in Parkersburg will undoubtedly lead to several community service awards presented annually to state contractors by the Associated General Contractors of Iowa, according to Ricke Welden, director of field services for the AGE. The Bravo Awards are given every January to companies among the 185 association members that go above and beyond to serve their communities.
BIG COMPANIES EMERGE
Interestingly, Welden said coordination by contractors for disaster relief has decreased in recent years. Before 9/11, AGE members participated in official emergency response planning. But now, more advanced county and state emergency response programs have been a priority and contractors no longer play an active role.
Another change in recent years has been the emergence of several national companies—like the one that landed the cleanup contract for Parkersburg—that converge on disaster areas and provide massive, special services. The larger companies are better equipped to mobilize enough workers and equipment to make shorter work of the mess, Welden says.
That doesn’t mean local construction contractors aren’t a necessary first responder following a natural disaster. On the contrary, Welden says local, community-minded contractors will always jump in and donate time and equipment in times of need.
“They want to help out and don’t expect anything in return,’’ Welden says of the volunteer contractors. “They would rather stay behind the scenes and do what they need to do and they’re not big on kudos or making sure the camera is on them.’’
