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All hands on deck for tornado cleanup at Pleasant Hill cemetery

All hands on deck for tornado cleanup at Pleasant Hill cemetery
IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. WELL, ONE WEEK AFTER TORNADOES CHURNED THROUGH SEVERAL IOWA TOWNS, DOZENS OF FAMILIES ARE STILL LEFT PICKING UP THE PIECES. AND PLEASANT HILL, A TORNADO RIPPED OPEN ROOFS, DESTROYED HOMES AND FILLED OAKWOOD CEMETERY WITH DEBRIS. THE CITY ASKED FOR HELP CLEANING UP THE CEMETERY, AND AN ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS SHOWED UP TODAY AND DELIVERED vlog’S MARCUS MCINTOSH IS LIVE IN PLEASANT HILL, WHERE THE CLEANUP EFFORT HAS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. MARCUS IT SURE HAS BY YOU CAN SEE THE UPPER LEFT BEHIND ME. THAT’S KIND OF A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE CEMETERY LOOKED LIKE AFTER THE TORNADO CAME THROUGH. THERE WAS TRASH. NOT NOT TRASH, BUT DEBRIS AND REMNANTS OF TREES EVERYWHERE. CONSIDERING THE WAY THINGS LOOK AT THE OAKWOOD CEMETERY WHEN WE ARRIVED IN PLEASANT HILL THIS MORNING, IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD NOW. MORE THAN 100 VOLUNTEERS SHOWED UP TO CLEAN UP DEBRIS LEFT BEHIND BY THE TORNADO, INCLUDING SOME FACES YOU WILL LIKELY RECOGNIZE FROM LAST WEEK’S TORNADO TOSSED AROUND THIS PLEASANT HILL NEIGHBORHOOD, LEAVING HOMES DAMAGED AND DESTROYED. AND THE CEMETERY A MESS. FRIDAY AFTERNOON, PEOPLE STEPPED UP FOR THE CEMETERY. WE GOT A COUPLE OF THE TRAILERS THAT YOU COULD JUST STUFF IT INTO THE MOST SAFE AND EFFECTIVE WAY. AFTER GETTING SOME BASIC INSTRUCTIONS, MORE THAN 100 VOLUNTEERS SPREAD OUT TO DIG INTO THE CLEANUP EFFORT ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE TORNADO TORE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, LEAVING DEBRIS JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE, A CLEANUP EFFORT THAT WAS MASSIVE, BUT ONE THAT WAS NOT INTENDED DATING. IT’S JUST REALLY GREAT FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND HELPING OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, WHO HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH THE STRUGGLES FROM THIS. THE VOLUNTEERS ARE CLEARING WHAT’S LEFT OF TREES FROM THE CEMETERY. AND EFFORT THAT ALSO IS UNCOVERING GRAVE MARKERS FROM THE AFTERMATH OF THE TORNADO THAT LEFT THINGS A MESS. I THINK THEY WOULD BE SO APPRECIATIVE THAT WE’RE OUT HERE. UM, I’M NOT TOO SURE WHO ELSE SO THE FACT THAT WE’RE OUT HERE AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THEIR GRAVES ARE CLEANED UP AND RESPECTED, I THINK THEY WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. FAMILIAR FACES FROM vlog JOINT CLEANUP EFFORTS, INCLUDING ONE OF OUR ANCHORS, A MORNING ANCHOR, OUR SPORTS REPORTER, TWO METEOROLOGIST, AND OUR ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR FOR PART OF THE OUTPOURING OF VOLUNTEERS THAT ALMOST BROUGHT PLEASANT HILLS PARK SUPERINTENDENT TO TEARS. IT’S GREAT TO HAVE THEM. THERE’S A LOT OF WORK THIS MAKES MAKES A LOT OF LIGHT WORK. SO SO IT’S IT’S OVERWHELMING TO SEE HOW HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN GIVE BACK. OKAY. WE’VE GOT, UM, PLEASANT HILLS PARK SUPERINTENDENT SAYS CLEARING THE DEBRIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. THEY’LL NEED TO SALVAGE TREES AND DO SOME REPAIR WORK ON TREES, AS WELL AS SOME WORK ON HEADSTONES, BUT ADDS THAT TODAY WAS A VERY GOOD START. WE’RE LIVE IN PLEASANT HILL.
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All hands on deck for tornado cleanup at Pleasant Hill cemetery
The call for help went out to the community: Pleasant Hill needed help clearing tornado debris from Oakwood Cemetery. More than 100 people responded Friday, including a volunteer crew from vlog, a week after the EF-2 tornado blew through. "It's great for community involvement. Getting out into the community and helping others," said volunteer Christina Skattebo.The tornado was on the ground for more than 7 miles and had peak wind speeds of 125-135 mph, leaving many homes and vehicles damaged. With downed tree limbs and toppled gravestones, Oakwood Cemetery was left a mess. "The fact that we are out here making sure their graves are cleared up and respected, I think they would really appreciate that," said volunteer Tishay Steel.The volunteer effort almost brought Pleasant Hill Parks and Recreation SupervisorHeath Ellis to tears. "It's great to have them," Ellis said. "... It's overwhelming to see how many people can give back."More tornado coverage in Pleasant Hill

The call for help went out to the community: Pleasant Hill needed help clearing tornado debris from Oakwood Cemetery.

More than 100 people responded Friday, including a volunteer crew from vlog, a week after the EF-2 tornado blew through.

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"It's great for community involvement. Getting out into the community and helping others," said volunteer Christina Skattebo.

The tornado was on the ground for more than 7 miles and had peak wind speeds of 125-135 mph, leaving many homes and vehicles damaged.

With downed tree limbs and toppled gravestones, Oakwood Cemetery was left a mess.

"The fact that we are out here making sure their graves are cleared up and respected, I think they would really appreciate that," said volunteer Tishay Steel.

The volunteer effort almost brought Pleasant Hill Parks and Recreation Supervisor
Heath Ellis to tears.

"It's great to have them," Ellis said. "... It's overwhelming to see how many people can give back."

More tornado coverage in Pleasant Hill