Relief

Volunteer Position - In September of 2020, Topher was honored by White County EMA, Stanley Neal, to serve on the EMA Team as Disaster Relief Coordinator.  

Video from a Roof after Upper Cumberland Tornado on March 3, 2020

Topher's Disaster Relief Experience
Ethan, Gabriel, and Topher pause for a quick photo at the end
of the first day of cleanup after the Cookeville Tornado of
March 3rd, 2020.

Ground Zero - Thursday, September 13th - 2001

Christopher led a team of 4 ministers and counselors to Ground Zero to aid in counseling and search/rescue.  They also carried food and supplies donated by local area churches of Christ.  The team was given the gracious hospitality Manhattan church of Christ to set up as a home base and sleep in.

Topher and his young brother Jeff share
a moment after Tornado cleanup
in Rainsville, AL in April of 2011. 
Tornado/Hurricane Chainsaw Crews
Gulfport, MS - 8/30/2005
Bayou La Batre, AL - 9/14/2005
Gallatin, TN - 4/7/2006
Williamson County, TN - 2/5/2008
Rainsville, AL - 4/27/2011
Henryville, IN - 3/4/2012
Washington, IN - 11/2/2013
Port St. Joe, FL - 10/20/2018
Panama City, FL - 11/2/2018
Sparta, TN - 2/4/2020
Cookeville, TN - 3/3/2020
White County, TN - 3/29/2020
Chattanooga, TN - 4/13/2020
Lake Charles, LA - 8/30/2020
Pleasant Hill, TN - 4/8/2021

Hurricane Katrina Relief Crews - 2005 to 2006
13 trips to the Gulf ranging from chainsaw crews to Disaster Relief delivery to house gutting.  The trips  included efforts in cities such as Bayou La Batre, Gulfport, Biloxi, and New Orleans.

Middle Tennessee Flooding Cleanup Crews - 2010
Christopher led teams that performed house gutting and counseling to several homes in the Bellevue, TN area, which was hardest hit by the 2010 floods.  Most exciting was attending the joyous moving in parties of families finally returning home in 2011.

Washington, IN Tornado- November 2, 2013

Christopher was called upon to work with the Daviess County EMA office and the Mayor's office to organize volunteers, resources, and cleanup in the wake of the F2 tornado that struck Daviess County.  In the first week alone over 1000 volunteers were registered entering into Daviess County.  Christopher's continuing work in this effort led him to be asked to serve on the Daviess County Organizations Active in Disaster. 

Florida Panhandle - Hurricane Michael - October 17, 2018 - January 2019
Christopher organized scouting and aid missions for the long-term recovery care of those affected by Hurricane Michael in the Florida Panhandle.  He organized teams from White County, TN for four trips that served in chainsawing, tarping, debris cleanup, and gutting of homes in the areas of Panama City, Mexico Beach, and Port St. Joe areas.

Video for Port St. Joe, FL effort in 2018 

Tennessee Tornadoes - Spring of 2020
Christopher served in rapid immediate response in Putnam County, White County, and Hamilton County when tornadoes hit each time over night.  With White County, where Christopher lives, he served under the authority of the County Commissioners office and EMA to organize all volunteer cleanup with the county for the next three months, spanning 131 help requests of community members.  In September 2020, he was named Disaster Relief Coordinator for White County under the authority of the Emergency Management Agency.
Topher teamed up community volunteers with 
Team Rubicon for some big requests!

Topher had to bring out the big saw for this tree!
Homeowners helped in the cleanup.


Lake Charles, LA - Hurricane Laura - August & September 2020
Late in August, after Hurricane Laura strengthened to a category 4 hurricane and made landfall in Louisiana, Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team, based out of Ohio, contacted Topher and Central Church of Christ for aid.  Topher led a driving and cleanup team to Tipp City, Ohio to pick up a 31 ft shower trailer and a box truck to deliver safely to Lake Charles.  There, they worked primarily on repairing two church buildings to make ready for hosting more volunteers for the continued cleanup of the damaged area. 

Waverly, TN Flooding on August 21st, 2021
During the early morning of Saturday, August 21, 2021, very heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flash flooding across western Middle Tennessee, including the town of Waverly. In a catastrophic situation, much of a five-county area received up to a quarter of normal annual rainfall in under twelve hours, totaling up to 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 cm). The town of Waverly was severely damaged by floodwater, with many homes and businesses destroyed and swept away. Numerous people became trapped, leading to widespread water rescues and several deaths.  Topher was a team lead with gutting houses 6 days after the flood on August 27th, in conjunction with Waverly Church of Christ and Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team.