An EF-2 tornado tore the roof off an elderly care center in northern Pennsylvania, forcing staff to evacuate 162 elderly residents.
Although the buildings of the Rolling Fields Elder Care Community were damaged, none of the seniors sustained any serious injuries.
“At this time no serious injuries have been reported. Two residents have been hospitalized for unrelated concerns. All residents and employees are currently safe and comfortable until they can move back home to Rolling Fields,” it said.
Community Effort
The storm hit the Rolling Fields facility at about 2:40 p.m. on Oct. 2 with 115 mph winds, tearing a swath of destruction some 50 yards wide, according to the Tribune. The main hall and one assisted-living villa were significantly damaged, the Sharon Herald reported.The American Red Cross initially set up a reception center for Rolling Fields storm victims at Church of Christ in Conneautville, but that facility was soon overwhelmed and patients were transferred to the Conneaut Valley Middle School on Route 18.
The Herald reported that dozens of volunteers turned out to help set up lodging for the displaced Rolling Fields residents. At the high school, even the students helped carry beds and supplies into the gymnasium, where the elderly would be staying.
“This community cares about their community and the people in it,” Conneaut School District Superintendent Jarrin Sperry told the Herald.
Some Rolling Fields residents were taken to the Fellows Club Fire Department as well, the Herald reported. The displaced residents were brought in on buses, then guided to tables where they could get food, water, and even clothing for those who needed it.
Emergency generators were supplying power to the impromptu residential facilities, and according to Sperry, and even bigger generator was already on its way to the school.
Some of the elderly residents were taken to family homes by their relatives, according to Lawrence, a volunteer deputy for Crawford County Emergency Management.
As well as housing 0ver 160 elderly patrons and staff, the Rolling Hills facility provided onsite child care. That service has been temporarily taken over by a local church.
“Everybody is pulling together,” Sperry told the Herald.
The Rolling Fields facility is in Conneautville, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles north of Pittsburgh and 10 miles south of Lake Eerie, in the northwestern corner of the state.
