Jojo Macatiag, the organizer of a group of volunteers known as Open House, clears downed trees cut by workers in a yard on Short Tail Springs Road as work continues Sunday in the aftermath of Friday’s tornadoes.The sawdust flying off Jojo Macatiag’s chain saw mingles with the ashen sky, backdropped by houses without roofs and walls. Nearby, Salvation Army trucks rattle down barricaded roads, weaving between power company cherry pickers to deliver hot meals to people collecting scattered storm detritus.
So begins volunteers’ arduous task of helping those affected by tornadoes in Harrison and Ooltewah get their lives back on track.
After his stepfather’s house was demolished by the April 27 tornadoes last year, Macatiag banded with other volunteer workers, a hodgepodge group including loggers, engineers, a nurse and a former police officer. Though they’re still assisting those affected by last April’s storm, they were among the first to respond to the newly ravaged communities.
The loosely affiliated group, unofficially known as Open House, spent much of Sunday on Short Tail Springs Road, removing fallen trees from homes and spreading tarps donated by the Samaritan Center over roofs to preserve what was left in homes.
“Our relationships were forged through tears, sweat and blood,” said volunteer Joe Cyr, who vowed to give up riding his motorcycle and instead donate hundreds of hours repairing Apison after it was wrecked by storms last year.