Storms leave path of destruction in small Iron County town

DES ARC, Mo. (KBSI) – Storm victims continue to pick up the pieces in Wayne County and Iron County.

There have been 6 deaths confirmed in Wayne County which is just about 12 miles away from Des Arc in Iron County.

The National Weather service is still surveying the area for the type and size of storm that gave direct impact to the area leaving miles of destruction in its path.

Leslie Sutton and her husband run Mathew 7:12 Ministries in Fredericktown but they are from Wayne County. She says she’s lived through a lot of terrible storms, but des arc was the worst she’s seen.

“Its mass destruction in town. I’ve actually lived through the 99 tornado in Oklahoma so I’ve seen a lot of mass destruction but the way it hit Des Arc doesn’t even compare to Poplar Bluff, it skipped, and it jumped but Des Arc is a small town there’s not a home that was untouched” says Sutton.

 Sutton says the people of the little iron county town have lost everything. 

“These people slept here last night”, says Sutton. “We were here from daylight to dark with them and their sleeping in tents or what they have left of their home inside.”  

Dean Finch Wayne County Sheriff says there are two shelters’ available for those affected by the storms. The FEMA building and a church both located in Piedmont. Finch says the Emergency Management Agency of Wayne County is also available and located in Piedmont right now. 

Many storm victims are trying to build back what they can and are in need of roofing and building supplies.