DARLINGTON - Two weeks ago, the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department extended a helping hand to the small town of Parkersburg, Iowa.
The town of about 1,900 people was devastated by a tornado at the end of May that left seven dead, many injured and caused millions of dollars in property damage.
A week after the tornado, Lafayette County Sheriff Scott Pedley said he contacted the Butler (Iowa) County Sheriff's Department to ask if it needed help.
"We reached out to them and within a few minutes they were letting us know that they needed help," Pedley said.
The community, county and two-person police department was overwhelmed by the damage.
Pedley asked his deputies if they would be willing to go to Parkersburg to help.
Three deputies, Reg Gill, Brandon Gudgeon and Mike Gorham, said they would.
Gill, who has been with the sheriff's department for eight years, wasn't sure what to expect as he drove into the small town.
"I didn't see anything until I reached the area where the tornado hit," Gill said.
The first sign of the tornado was damaged vehicles along the road. As he continued to drive closer to the where the tornado hit he saw damaged homes, broken trees and rubble.
The amount of destruction was amazing, Gill said.
"What stood out to me was that on one side of the street the houses were gone and on the other side there was little damage," he said. "Some of the vehicles were unrecognizable."
The sheer amount of debris was staggering, he said.
"They had already been cleaning up for a week," he said.
Volunteers sorted through the damage to separate wood, metal and trees. There were huge piles of each all over the area.
The deputies patrolled the area to keep people away. They helped out wherever they could. Officers and deputies from several other counties and cities worked together.
Pedley said hours the deputies spent in Parkers-burg will be paid for with money from the Federal Emergency Manage-ment Agency.
Gill, Gudgeon and Gorham each worked one shift.
It was enough time to make an impression on them, Pedley said.
"I could sense from each of them that it was an emotional experience," he said.
The town of about 1,900 people was devastated by a tornado at the end of May that left seven dead, many injured and caused millions of dollars in property damage.
A week after the tornado, Lafayette County Sheriff Scott Pedley said he contacted the Butler (Iowa) County Sheriff's Department to ask if it needed help.
"We reached out to them and within a few minutes they were letting us know that they needed help," Pedley said.
The community, county and two-person police department was overwhelmed by the damage.
Pedley asked his deputies if they would be willing to go to Parkersburg to help.
Three deputies, Reg Gill, Brandon Gudgeon and Mike Gorham, said they would.
Gill, who has been with the sheriff's department for eight years, wasn't sure what to expect as he drove into the small town.
"I didn't see anything until I reached the area where the tornado hit," Gill said.
The first sign of the tornado was damaged vehicles along the road. As he continued to drive closer to the where the tornado hit he saw damaged homes, broken trees and rubble.
The amount of destruction was amazing, Gill said.
"What stood out to me was that on one side of the street the houses were gone and on the other side there was little damage," he said. "Some of the vehicles were unrecognizable."
The sheer amount of debris was staggering, he said.
"They had already been cleaning up for a week," he said.
Volunteers sorted through the damage to separate wood, metal and trees. There were huge piles of each all over the area.
The deputies patrolled the area to keep people away. They helped out wherever they could. Officers and deputies from several other counties and cities worked together.
Pedley said hours the deputies spent in Parkers-burg will be paid for with money from the Federal Emergency Manage-ment Agency.
Gill, Gudgeon and Gorham each worked one shift.
It was enough time to make an impression on them, Pedley said.
"I could sense from each of them that it was an emotional experience," he said.