(Photo courtesy of Rick Yeomans)

Yeomans, 51, of San Juan Capistrano, is a veteran of counseling people following disasters and tragedies. Last year, he launched Emergency Ministry Service, now headquartered at Christian Mission Church in Laguna Niguel. Yeomans also is assistant chief senior chaplain at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Below are edited excerpts from Yeomans’ February newsletter about his experience:

“On Monday, Feb. 11, I boarded a plane at John Wayne airport to fly to Arkansas and assess the damages caused by the rash of tornados that decimated five southeastern states.

This was an incredibly rare event, and has been declared the worst disaster caused by twisters in 23 years. My assignment (was) to tour the cities affected and prayerfully be led to place in which Emergency Ministry Services can return and minister.

My plan was to travel toward a couple of cities that I had seen reported about on the news: Atkins and Clinton.

Both of these cities had suffered a lot of damage from the tornado that first formed from an unusual front that collided with warm air from the west and cold air from the north, creating a monster category 5 tornado on Feb. 5. It traveled in a north westerly direction taking out everything in its path.

That first evening I stayed in a small town called Morrilton and throughout the evening thunder pounded and hail the size of quarters fell to the ground. I wondered, “Is another twister coming to get us?”

I drove approximately 15 miles west to Atkins and alongside the highway I saw the first signs of damage caused by the tornado. A large church stood to my right that had its roof blown partially off and the backside of the building had caved in; debris was everywhere.

As I continued west the damage got more concentrated. Atkins had suffered the loss of approximately 50 homes and had sustained damage to another 150. It was a terrible mess!

I checked in with the local Police department and Fire department and was told by them to contact the local Chaplain named Paul Northcut. I called him and left a message about who I was and what I was doing there assessing the damage and looking for opportunities for ministry. Later that afternoon we would meet and God would answer my prayers.

He told me about a young man who had been put in charge of the Office of Emergency Management in the neighboring county of Conway. He believed that this young man needed help and would appreciate meeting me. Just the day before Chaplain Paul had prayed with Brandon Baker that God would send help.

Later that afternoon Brandon and I talked on the phone and we set up a meeting for the following morning. Brandon had taken it upon himself to contact his father who ran the Ozark Christian Conference Center and had arranged for me to stay in a three-bedroom cabin overlooking the valley.

Wednesday morning Brandon and I met and he proceeded to escort me to the Incident Command Center in a small town called Wonderview. Conway County had suffered the loss of 27 homes and sustained damage to another 75. One local chicken farm was hit by the twister and lost over 2000 chickens; which the OEM director was responsible to dispose of.

The tornado had killed two people and injured numerous others. I saw property after property that had been destroyed or severely damaged, and thousands of acres of trees pushed over like matchsticks. It was an unbelievable sight!

My last day there I purchased two rose bushes and a sympathy card and placed them at the sight of the death of the York family. Archie and Kathleen York had served the Lord for 50 years as a pastor in the Assemblies of God Church. He had also survived being a prisoner of war in World War ll. Apparently his own son, who lived just up the street, witnessed the twister pick up his parents home off the ground and rip it to bits, right before his own eyes.

I would never forget my experience in Arkansas and the devastation caused by the twisters.