Arkansas snowstorm destroys hundreds of chicken houses

Mennonite Central Committee
Saturday, 5 February 2000

AKRON, Pa. -- A powerful January 27 snowstorm that dumped 16 inches of heavy wet snow in the Nashville, Ark., area led to the collapse of 200 chicken houses and the loss of tens of thousands of chickens.

While residential structures suffered no significant damage, the unusually large amount of snowfall for that region of the state was too great for farm buildings to sustain. Eighteen chicken houses owned by members of Mineral Springs Amish Mennonite Church were completely destroyed.

Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Arkansas Unit and MDS Region III leaders are assisting the devastated poultry farmers and coordinating volunteers to help with the clean up.

"It's terrible," said Quill Hostetler of the Arkansas Unit. "It's a huge loss."

"It's like a tornado scene," said Wilbur Litwiller, MDS field consultant. People are in shock at the loss. Volunteers are trying to rescue trapped chickens and salvage farm equipment from collapsed 300-foot buildings.

"This is a great economic loss. It will cost almost $2 million for the farmers from Mineral Springs to rebuild their chicken houses," said Hostetler.

MDS expects to continue helping in the clean up as long as needed. Hostetler says it may take four to six weeks until that work is done.

For more information, or to contact Mennonite Central Committee, see their website at: www.mcc.org