AC repair inPembroke, GA

With rubble, trees and wood surrounding her, Dr. Laura McKay began wondering how she would escape. An E4 tornado just ripped through Pembroke and was headed to Ellabell. Inside what used to the Curtis V. Cooper primary care facility, McKay was surrounded by piles of debris; a wobbly roof was proof that she had a short window of time to escape.

“I knew I was about to get a direct it,” recalled McKay as the storm approached. “I got under my desk and I saw it hit the building and I saw debris flying around and then everything went black.”

It has been one year since a devastating tornado ripped through Ellabell, killing one person and leaving many residents without a place to call home. McKay and Bryan County residents alike are still recovering from the storm that tore through their tiny town.

The impact of the tornado was felt far and wide and, in some places, debris can still be found on the side of the road.

Lingering challenges

City Administrator Chris Benson said the town did not receive cash payments from the state or federal level. However, the town’s insurance policy paid for most of the repairs.

“The state of Georgia did make resources available to the city in the time of need,” said Benson. “They provided equipment and assisted us greatly in the cleanup effort.”

McKay was on her way out of the office when she was alerted of a tornado warning for Bryan County. Everyone else was on their way home, so she took shelter in her office. Moments later, the building was torn apart.

“I just thought it was going to be a bad thunderstorm,” said McKay.

But security cameras revealed something more sinister was about to take place. Despite the destruction, phone lines were still active. McKay called 911 and waited patiently for EMS to arrive. It took one hour for a firefighter to get to her. During those 60 minutes, she watched the roof cave in little by little.

“I don't think it really hit me that it was a tornado,” said McKay. “I just didn't really know what was going on.”

Fortunately for McKay, the roof collapsed hours after she was freed. She found shelter at the firefighter’s home that rescued her and waited there until her husband came to pick her up. That would be the last day McKay treated the patients she came to know and love. Not a day goes by that she does not cry or think about them.

“A lot of the people in that part of the county are very poor and a lot of them, particularly around COVID, lost their jobs,” said McKay. “So, they lost their insurance and a lot of them don't qualify for Medicaid but they don't make enough to get insurance. We were the only medical care they were able to access, so a lot of my patients are without care. I can think of probably a dozen just off the top of my head that I know are not getting medications they need. I ended up leaving Curtis Cooper in September, mostly because it was just too difficult for me to stay there and not be able to go back to Pembroke because that's where my heart was.”

The biggest challenge for residents is not having access to affordable primary care because the Curtis V. Cooper facility was deemed a total loss.

“We've been working hard with our partners and community to identify places for services to be provided in the interim,” said Benson. “We're still working with our partners to provide or come up with a permanent solution. So that's probably our biggest outlier right now.”

The county hopes to have the courthouse repaired by December 2024 as they are experiencing a shortage of supplies. The county’s administration building will be complete in December.

Hendrix Park was ravaged to pieces but is on pace to be this summer. Tennis and basketball courts have been repaired and residents can see a new turf field, fencing, lighting and more than 125 trees have been planted.

Although Benson was not in Pembroke when the tornado occurred, recent storms in Arkansas and Mississippi paint a picture of what took place. He feels a sense of community in his short time in Pembroke but said residents are still recovering from what happened.

“Just being able to drive around nearly a year afterwards and still see some remnants of it is eerie,” said Benson. “I've heard stories about the community coming together but the impact of what happened is still fresh.”

Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached atlwilliams6@gannett.com.

continued her family’s legacy of serving in city government when she was elected mayor of Pembroke Tuesday night. Although all results remain unofficial until certified, Zeigler defeated Sharroll Fanslau 381 to 107 to secure the seat.

Her grandfather, Harry Owens, served as mayor in the ‘70s. Her grandmother, Elvie Owens, also served on City Council and her dad Terry McCoy served on the Development Authority of Bryan County.

"I would like to give God the ultimate glory for seeing me through this election process," said Zeigler. "I also want to express my heartfelt appreciation to the citizens of Pembroke for placing their trust in me and granting me the opportunity to serve as their mayor. I am committed to fulfilling this responsibility with utmost dedication."

Zeigler has served on city council for 16 years and was mayor pro tem. She graduated from Bryan County High School and helps her mother run Owens Supply Company, a lumber business that has been in the family for three generations.

Zeigler’s passion for Pembroke comes from the townsfolk she has come to know and love and her father’s upbringing gives her even more perspective and motivation to help decrease the town’s poverty rate.

Voters like Karon Bacon told the Savannah Morning News in a previous interview that "she has the background and she has the relationship with the State of Georgia to help make Pembroke grow.”

Zeigler’s dad spent his childhood working on a farm in Bulloch County ? not because he wanted to but because he had no choice. He often would miss school as the family needed as many hands as possible to cultivate the land.

Her father's sacrifices are just one of the many reasons driving Zeigler to do more for her hometown – a railroad town established in 1905 and within a stone’s throw of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, the biggest economic development in Georgia’s history.

Zeigler told the Savannah Morning News in a previous interview that her focal points will be affordable housing, revitalizing downtown and creating infrastructure to mitigate traffic congestion.

City Council Election Results for Bryan County

Pembroke

District 2

Sharon D. Lewis def. Karen Cook Lynn 64-53.

District 3

Diane H. Moore ran unopposed.

District 4

Rufus Ed Bacon def. C. Edward Winter 118-44.

At Large

Ernest D. Hamilton def. Jerry Gallisaw Sr. 310-181.

Richmond Hill

Post 3

Van Hunter def. Chris Raiford 451-438.

Post 4

Steve Scholar def. Rafael Redondo 626-262.

Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.

Three other EF-4 tornadoes occurred in the U.S., all with winds of 170 mph. The Bryan County tornado had estimated winds of 185 mph.

PEMBROKE, Ga. — Bryan County, Georgia's EF-4 tornado from April 5 will go down as the strongest tornado in the United States for 2022. The National Weather Service office in Charleston, SC estimated wind speeds of 185 mph with the coastal Georgia tornado.

The tornado's path ran for 14.5 miles, beginning just west of the Bryan County Courthouse in Pembroke and traveling just beyond Interstate 16. At the tornado's widest, it measured a distance of 1,300 yards.

The storm damaged part of the roof on the Bryan County Courthouse, blew out some windows, and snapped numerous trees in the area.

According to local news reports, construction has not yet started on the courthouse but local officials expect repairs to be completed by the end of 2023.

Credit: National Weather Service

Beyond the Pembroke area, the tornado moved over a wooded, marshy area, producing massive tree damage, and heavily damaging a residence on Stubbs Farm Road.

The tornado then continued east-northeast moving through Hendrix Park, the Park Place subdivision, and the Black Creek Golf Course where it reached its maximum EF-4 intensity and width of approximately three-quarters of a mile.

Credit: National Weather Service

Four individual damage points in the Park Place subdivision prompted the EF-4, one of which was bolts holding a foundation being bent.

Credit: National Weather Service

In addition to the structural damage, numerous trees in the area were snapped.

Credit: National Weather Service

Along Olive Branch Road and Homestead Drive, several mobile homes were completely destroyed, causing one death and injuries in the area.

The tornado weakened as it crossed Interstate 16 at U.S. Highway 280 (exit 143), dissipating just east of Oracal Parkway Circle.

Three other EF-4 tornadoes occurred in the United States in 2022, one in Iowa and two that crossed from Texas into Oklahoma. The Winterset, IA tornado happened on March 5, causing 6 deaths. The two Texas/Oklahoma tornadoes happened on November 4 with no fatalities.

All three other EF-4 tornadoes had peak winds of 170 mph.

Tornado ratings are measured on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which estimates a tornado's strength based on damage that has occurred.

According to the National Weather Service, when tornado-related damage is surveyed, it is compared to a list of Damage Indicators and Degrees of Damage which help estimate better the range of wind speeds the tornado likely produced.

Pembroke has a new eatery, with this one touting its authentic Korean cuisine.

Korean Food and Deli owner Pok Holbrook speaks passionately about how Korean food should taste. She said what sets her menu apart is that it is true to Korean culture. Her menu includes pork belly, seafood and spicy rice cakes and fried dumplings.

“It tastes different,” said Holbrook. “A lot of people, when they try my food, they know it’s authentic.”

At the restaurant's opening on Monday, Tracy Smith, who works for the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, was the first customer of the day. When word of the restaurant began to spread around town, she kept her fingers crossed that it was not just another rumor.“I’ve heard everyone is so excited and we have not had something like this before I don’t believe,” said Smith. “I heard about it a couple weeks ago. I’m glad they are open.”

Holbrook moved to Orlando from South Korea in 1976.

“America is dreamland,” said Holbrook. “That is what we used to call it.”

After she arrived in the U.S., she realized it was a much harder to get established. She traveled throughout the country and did whatever she could to make a living, including cleaning hotels in Chicago.

More:'The park is significant': Bryan County working to get Hendrix Park fully operational

She lived in Atlanta and Macon before settling in Savannah, where she owned Korea Garden on Derenne Avenue, a popular hotspot for original Asian cuisine.

Holbrook credits much of her cooking skills to her church members who gave her the confidence to utilize her skillset in the kitchen.

“When I started going to a Korean church in 1986, I started cooking for them and they fell in love with my food,” said Holbrook. “I used to have a big garden and used all the fresh vegetables.”

Holbrook is collecting her seeds for the vegetable garden she plans to grow. Her collection includes cucumber and an array of leafy greens. She is anxiously awaiting spring so she can grow and pick the crops from her land instead of making the drive to Atlanta twice a week to get her produce.

More:Auto parts maker plans $176M Georgia plant to supply Bryan Co. Hyundai facility

Aside from the positive feedback about the opening of her new restaurant, Holbrook said there is one other thing that was proof the meals she prepared were satisfying.

“When people are dancing while they are eating, you know the food is good.”

Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.

The Fox Theatre Institute (FTI), the Community Partnerships arm of Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, has awarded Pembroke’s Friends of Tos Theatre, Inc. a financial grant award totaling $25,000 to engage the consulting firm Sinclair Townes & Co to assist the local non-profit organization raise funds for the revitalization of the Tos Theatre.

“With FTI’s grant of $25,000, we can move forward with our capital campaign to revitalize the Tos Theatre,” said Elizabeth Norman, President of Friends of Tos Theatre, Inc.

“This funding enables us to hire fundraising professionals to guide us in raising the funds needed to re-open the Tos Theatre which will serve as a catalyst for the development and revitalization of our entire downtown area. We envision a bustling hub of culture, entertainment, and community engagement, and it’s all within reach,” Norman said.

Pembroke’s Tos Theater was built by S.G. Tos in 1938. It hosted movies until it closed in the 1970s and was a carpet warehouse in the 1980s and 1990s, according to city officials in a previous interview.

The FTI program has committed more than $2.7 million since launching in 2008, according to a press release. Marking its 15th anniversary, FTI aims to bolster both economic and cultural vitality in local communities, extending from Atlanta and beyond, through its 20232024 grant program.

“Now in our 15th year, FTI has had a tremendous opportunity to increase not only the preservation of historic theatres, but to see positive results for the ongoing economic and cultural impact created in their surrounding downtowns. We have many exciting plans for the next 15 years and look forward to continuing investing, but also expanding, the footprint of programs here at the Fox,” said Leigh Burns, director of the Fox Theatre Institute, in a press release.

FTI also manages various outreach initiatives such as “Fox in a Box,” a complimentary educational program for Georgia’s elementary schools; Georgia Presenters, a unique statewide talent booking network; and Preservation Grants, which offer exclusive funding options for historic theater preservation.

For more information about the Fox Theatre Institute, visit www. foxtheatre.org. To learn more about the upcoming renovated TOS Theatre in Pembroke, visit the Facebook page entitled “Pembroke TOS Theatre Revitalization’’.

About the Fox Theatre Institute

The Fox Theatre Institute (FTI) is a dynamic outreach program offering historic preservation expertise, consultation, and education to performing arts venues in Georgia and the region. Created by Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, an iconic attraction widely applauded for being a catalyst for positive change in the community, FTI pays it forward, helping other cultural institutions renew, reinvigorate, and restore artistic vitality in their backyards and beyond. Keeping environmental and economic impact top of mind, FTI offers the financial assistance, restoration support and operations mentoring needed to leverage scarce resources and stimulate local economies. Not only that, but it keeps the artistic pulse of beloved communities beating for decades to come.