24 Hours

"I got 24 hours of livin' and I ain't gonna waste it here." -Bar Fly, A Bug's Life

Reedsville

A tornado swept through southeast Ohio on September 16. A couple weeks later I had a photo assignment to do a story on a place for my final photojournalism class of my college career. The place I stumbled upon was Reedsville. I came across it by accident, just by exploring the countryside and trying to clear my head.

These are the people that I met and welcomed me onto what is left of their properties. They each have their own story of the night of the storms and are doing their best to rebuild their lives.


Debris rests among broken trees in Reedsville on October 9.


Shirley Barber and her son, Jeremy, shine flashlights up the stairs that led Barber and her husband to safety in their basement on the night of the tornadoes. The basement is all that is left of her home.


Marilyn and Garry Weddington stand in their bedroom with their son, Michael on October 10.


Shirley Barber transfers wet towels to her dryer while doing laundry on the concrete pad where her garage once was on October 9. "A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do," she explained of her situation.


Jason, right, recalls the immediate help after the storm from strangers, neighbors, and friends and puts his arm around Brian, left, in appreciation on October 3.


Matt Bowers, left, and Donald Mays, right, sit in Mays' camper on October 5. "I won't go camping after this," Mays commented.

What are we doing?

I asked as we wound through the mountains. We yelled over the rain as it collided with the car, it's sound a violent confrontation to our ears while I attempted to photograph lightning.

I found it an adventure.