Local emergency workers should be commended for response to storm

While it may not seem like it, last Wednesday was a good day in Whitley County.

About 3:30 p.m., winds reaching speeds of 100 mph tore through here ripping large trees out of the ground by their roots, blowing off roofs, downing power lines and blocking roads with debris.

Yes, I call that a good day. Nobody got killed. To my knowledge, there were never any confirmed reports of injuries either. Given the amount of damage we suffered, it’s nothing short of at least a minor miracle.
While the response from officials and volunteers wasn’t perfect, it was exemplary overall.

Although they were swamped with calls and had to deal with communication problems, 911 dispatchers kept their heads and did a great job processing all their calls and relaying the information accordingly.
Volunteer firefighters, police, rescue personnel and EMT’s moved as quickly as possible to put out fires, remove downed trees from roads, and get help to people that needed it.

Both state and local road crews worked long hours to remove debris in order to keep traffic flowing.
Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. and Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison were quick to declare states of emergency and helped out as they could.

Cumberland Valley RECC moved quickly to restore power and repair downed lines. They had my power in the northern end of the county back on in about 20 hours. From what people have told me, their response was excellent.

Overall, our emergency responders proved that they are among the best in the state, and they deserve our thanks and gratitude.

Now onto some other business from further north in the county.

My best wishes to former Corbin Police Chief Carson Mullins, who officially retired last Monday. He served the department well in his more than 30 years of service on the force.

In my dealings with Mullins over the years, he was always professional, courteous, and quick to return a telephone call. He’s left his successor with some big shoes to fill.