Article Options

Former Benton resident writes book about tornado

By Becky Malkovich, The Southern

Sunday, May 11, 2008 9:50 AM CDT

As former Benton resident Tim Ellsworth watched student after student tell their stories of survival to local, state and national media, his faith was bolstered.

Ellsworth is director of news and media relations for Union University, a 3,300-student, Baptist-affiliated Christian liberal arts university in Union, Tenn., the site of a Feb. 5 tornado that caused dozens of injuries and an estimated $40 million in property damage, but amazingly, no deaths.

"In the hours after the tornado, the way they handled themselves and the hope they had in the Lord, even as the campus was behind them in ruins, was more than impressive. They talked about how God protected them and they were excited about what He had planned for their futures. Seeing that faith in others helped bolster my own faith," Ellsworth said.

So inspired was he by the accounts of God's protection and providence, he decided to share the stories by writing "God in the Whirlwind," a collection of tales about the faith demonstrated during the tornado.

The book, set for publication June 1 by B&H Publishing Group of Nashville, Tenn., has 20 chapters, each devoted to a different story about a Union student, family member or employee. The book also includes brief first-person testimonials from students who survived the natural disaster as well as 16 pages of color photographs taken by Union photographer Morris Abernathy.

"They are stories of faith in the midst of the tornado. They are stories of how God had His way in the whirlwind and storm. And they are potent examples of how a loving God protected the helpless, and used imperfect, sinful people to showcase His miraculous power and His saving grace to the entire world," Ellsworth wrote in the book's introduction.

A 1992 graduate of Benton Consolidated High School, Ellsworth, 34, has been with Union for almost four years. He was not on campus, but at his home about three miles away, when the tornado struck.

"I got a call from a reporter from our local ABC affiliate who wanted confirmation that Union had been struck by a tornado. I tried making calls, but couldn't get through to anyone on campus. A few minutes later, WBBJ called back and said they had confirmation and that students were trapped in a collapsed building," he said.

Once determining that the worst of the storm has passed, Ellsworth quickly made his way to campus.

"When I saw all the emergency lights I just got this sinking feeling, a heavy, heavy feeling," he said. "I saw the collapsed buildings and I couldn't believe the amount of devastation."

Two student housing complexes that contained a total of 16 buildings received the most - some were still standing but heavily damaged, while others were left piles of rubble, he said. A couple of academic buildings also sustained major damage, Ellsworth said.

Some 14 students were trapped "in some form or fashion, from a few minutes to five hours," he said. "Fifty-one students were taken to hospitals that night. Nine stayed overnight, five stayed several days and two were hospitalized for several weeks."

Students returned to classes Feb. 20 and ground was broken on new dorms that same week, Ellsworth said. Some are expected to be completed by the start of fall classes.

Ellsworth, the son of the Rev. Roger and Sylvia Ellsworth of Benton, is a former reporter for The Southern Illinoisan. He and his wife, Sarah, have two children, Daniel and Emmalee, and another on the way.

He said witnessing the devastation of the tornado and the resilience of the people affected by it has given him a new appreciation for "the kind of people I work with on a daily basis and for the kind of students we have here. I was constantly amazed by the faith and the dependence upon God that so many people here on campus demonstrated through probably the most difficult time of their lives."

Ellsworth's book can be pre-ordered online.

beckymalk@gmail.com  

927-5633