Covenant News

Tornado Touches Down Near Covenant Pastor's Home

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (May 9, 2003) - A tornado that wreaked havoc in a wide area of Oklahoma City Thursday actually touched down a mere five blocks from the home of Covenant Pastor Paul Cunningham before lifting and touching down again six blocks to the east of his home.

"It kind of jumped over us," said Sherry Cunningham in recalling the 15 minutes of terror that gripped the neighborhood and surrounding areas. "Police and sheriff deputies blocked the streets last night while they assessed the damage." Although electricity was interrupted to homes in the area, the Westmore Covenant Church, where Cunningham is the pastor, kept its electric power and was used by the Red Cross as a temporary shelter, offering water, supplies and a place to sleep for neighboring residents.

Thursday's tornado was not as frightening as one in 1999 that inflicted even more damage, said Garth Bolinder, superintendent of the Midsouth Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church. "I was there yesterday," Bolinder said, noting he left around 3:30 p.m. local time, about an hour before the funnel dropped from the clouds around 4:45 p.m. "What's ironic is that this is the third tornado disaster to hit that area during the past 15 years or so, following exactly the same path each time."

The Westmore Covenant building was not damaged and Bolinder said there have been no reports indicating damage to the homes of church members, though information continues to flow in. Another Covenant church not too far distant, Cornerstone, also escaped damage, Bolinder said. That church started in Del City (northwest side of Oklahoma City) as a church plant seven years ago or so, the superintendent recalled, and had decided to move to Midwest City to be closer to the bulk of the members. That was in 1999. "Just before the move, the tornado of 1999 leveled their building. Places to meet were in short supply, so they found a warehouse in Midwest City and renovated it - it's great."

Bolinder observed that dense clay in the soil makes digging basements impractical. Some homes purchase "safe rooms" manufactured of reinforced steel to protect occupants during severe storms. Others have cellars.

"We have two homes on our street with cellars," Sherry Cunningham said. "We went there with friends. Some of the parents were pretty freaked. In about 15 minutes, it was all over." She said a tornado watch was still in effect today.

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