ADEL, Ga. -- Airmen from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. teamed up with numerous community organizations and hundreds of other volunteers to aid in tornado relief efforts Jan. 28, in Adel.
The tornado, confirmed by the National Weather Service as an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, killed 15 people. An EF3 level tornado has wind gusts between 136 and 165 mph.
The Airmen searched for personal belongings amongst debris left in the wake of tornado as well salvaged furniture and wood. The wood was salvage to rebuild the destroyed neighborhood.
“The community gives back to us in any way they can, so any chance we have to give back, we try to do as much as we can,” said Senior Master Sgt. William Ford, Airman and Family Readiness Center NCO in charge of readiness.
To date, the tornado was the strongest in the county’s history and the only to cause fatalities.
The tornado was just one in an outbreak along the southeast between Jan. 21 and 22. The NWS estimates that 12 tornados touched down in Southern Georgia, alone.
“When disasters like this strike, our small group here can have a large impact [aiding relief efforts],” said Ford.