It wasn't until Elaine Beckland saw the uprooted trees and smashed roofs up close that the devastation of the Good Friday tornado sunk in.

"It was just heartbreaking," recalled Beckland, the Nameoki Township assessor, following a tour of the damage on Monday. "When we got back to the office, I told the secretary that we needed to do something to help these people."

Beckland and others spent last week organizing a collection drive for victims of the April 22 storms. About 140 properties were damaged in Madison County, the bulk in Nameoki Township. The same storm system left several hundred homeless in northern St. Louis County.

Volunteers started distributing food and drinks on Tuesday and plan to hand out more items this week.

Lovier Hahn, 82, of the 2200 block of Bern Avenue, received food from the township. She was able to still live in her home, which had damage to the roof and a back yard fence. A next door house was extensively damaged.

"I'm very fortunate," she said.

Kimberly Martin, of the 2100 block of Bern Avenue, had also received food and drinks. Her roof was wrecked. Her truck was totaled.

"There were trees everywhere in the road. Nameoki Township came out and cleaned them all up," said Martin, who is now worried about health problems related to all the fiberglass insulation that blew through her neighborhood following the storms.

Workers from Nameoki and Chouteau township as well as the Madison County Sheriff's Work Alternative Program removed most of the debris from streets last week.

Nameoki Township Highway Commissioner Buddy O'Brian said clearing materials will take at least another week.

The Red Cross and United Way are also helping residents.

Contact reporter Scott Cousins at 618-344-0264, ext. 113