After a tornado tore through Southeast Missouri just two weeks ago, residents of Delta are working through the long road to recovery with the help of neighbors, volunteers, and schools that quickly became hubs for shelter and support.
The tornado was “600 yards wide and it was on the ground for 15 miles,” said Delta R-V School District Superintendent David Heeb. “It touched down just north of Advance... then it went all the way through the middle of Delta. It stayed on Highway 25 almost like an 18-wheeler just driving down the road.”
According to Heeb, the storm damaged homes near the highway and well beyond.
“Some of them are completely gone. We've got others that just took a tremendous amount of damage,” he said.
The school district’s FEMA building, designed as an emergency shelter, proved essential.
“My family was actually in the FEMA building when the storm hit and I'll never forget that as people started to file out after the tornado, we had three families that came right back because... their home was gone.” Heeb said.
In the first 24 hours following the storm, the most vital support came in the form of basics. The food, the water, and the bare essentials that were provided.
Despite damage across town, the main school facilities were spared. “We didn’t have any damage to either school building,” Heeb said. “It probably missed us, I would say, by less than 100 feet of where the real damage was at.”
Power outages led to significant food loss at the school, and groceries had to be restocked before students could return.
“We actually missed four days of school, which is probably a record for something like this,” Heeb said. “We got the last of that [food delivery] on Tuesday morning and... we were able to have school on Wednesday.”
The school community and surrounding areas stepped up in extraordinary ways.
“Just an outpouring of goodness that you see in people in a time like this,” he said. “It just kind of gives you hope... You see so much bad news in the world. This was one of those times where something terrible happened to us, but... you just saw so much good in people.”
Heeb recalled a standout moment involving a senior named Jared, who had been delivering meals in the rain.
“This kid looked at me and without blinking, he just said, ‘Mr. Heeb, is there anything I can do to help you?’” he said. “And he was ready to just run back out in that rain and just volunteer.”
Teachers also pitched in immediately.
“We had one teacher that came up here the day after the storm that went door to door in all the rooms,” Heeb said. “The lady that leads our prom... she got a flat tire coming down here because the roads weren’t clear of the debris yet.”
While school operations resumed, emotional recovery remains ongoing.
“We had some counseling services here for the kids and for the teachers, anybody that needed it,” Heeb said. “We do have a few families that were hit a little harder than others... We’re just constantly touching base with those kids to make sure that they have everything they need.”
“We're small enough that we know all of our families,” Heeb said. “Those relationships have come in handy in a time like this where we can kind of meet people where they're at.”
One person died in the storm — Fire Chief Garry Moore, who observed a vehicle off to the side of the road and stopped to check for damage and provide aid if needed. However, a bit later, Chief Moore was found unconscious and was later pronounced dead, a loss felt deeply in the community.
“That’s a tragedy,” Heeb said. “But in general, to have that level of devastation and not have more people killed... everything else can be rebuilt. Everything else can be fixed.”
Anyone looking to contribute to relief efforts can contact Delta City Hall at 573-794-0911. “They’re coordinating all the donations and things like that,” Heeb said. “We're just really thankful and really blessed... Everybody’s okay.”
More information on donations and volunteering can be found on the school's Facebook page.
