Team effort from across the area helps Selma recover from storm

SELMA. Ind. — The footprint left by the tornado that touched down in and around Selma on March 14 is being scrubbed away by volunteers and local governments, including other Delaware County small towns with the means to help.

By the end of last week, the debris left by splintered trees and destroyed or broken houses have been cleaned up. Repairs are still needed, but the first steps have been taken.

"I have been in tears multiple times from Day 1," said Dale Buffin, Selma Town Council member, who said his view of people has been uplifted from the outpouring of help provided from neighbors within the town and from outsiders as far away as Alabama who came to give aid.

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The Delaware County Highway Department went to work to clean up the town on March 15, the day after the tornado hit and remained working last week.

Also helping with equipment and manpower was the Muncie Sanitary District and the Muncie Parks Department. Yorktown, Daleville and Cowan, as well as Parker City and Modoc, also helped to begin the hard work of clearing debris and helping people return to a more normal state of life until repairs can be made.

"It's been a wow, wow kind of week," said Tommie Humbert, the Delaware County Highway superintendent, who worked in Selma along others for the cleanup.

Private companies, such as Roto Rooter Plumbing and Water Cleanup of Muncie, also joined the effort, Humbert said.

"We worked as a team," Humbert said. "We pretty much sent the whole highway department out there."

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Shick Reclamation also helped. The fallen utility polls and power wires kept roads closed for a while, but as time went on, the activity and volunteers grew.

"The first day we had 30 people working and maybe seven people gawking," Humbert said.

But after after people had gotten an eyeful of tornado damage, everyone went to work.

Buffin said that Selma residents planned to help some of the nearby farmers with cleanup of their properties, even though they live outside the town limits, because they were part of the community.

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The municipality is still waiting for word from the federal government on whether the town will be eligible for disaster assistance. Much will depend on whether Selma is included with aid destined for Winchester, which was also hard hit by the same F3 tornado.

In the meantime, James King, president of Delaware County Commissioners, said they will see about providing Selma with about $200,000 in American Rescue Plan funds that are left over from pandemic aid sent the county.

David Penticuff is a reporter with The Star Press. He can be contacted at dpenticuff@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Selma recovering as county helping hands cleanup from tornado