LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Following Friday’s tornado, a neighborhood in Little Rock came together in the aftermath to help each other in a time of need even if it meant putting themselves in harm’s way. 

Jerry Shurgar said when the tornado was headed toward his neighborhood on Jewell Road, north of Cantrell, he and his wife quickly went to a safe hallway in their home. 

“My wife knew the storm was coming and she spotted the debris we ran inside,” Shugar said. 

The twister left many homes in the area in shambles and Shurgar said the tornado left a blockage of debris in front of his home. 

“We crawled over branches and tree limbs to get out and then people came by,” Shurgar said. 

The people that Shurgar mentioned helping him were his neighbors, he said once he and his wife were okay, he went to join them in helping other neighbors. 

“We got tools and chainsaws to check on neighbors,” Shurgar said. “We started clipping and cutting people out of their homes, cutting the debris away.” 

He said after living in the neighborhood for 55 years, he wasn’t surprised by the actions of his neighbors. 

“It’s the innate goodness of people,” Shurgar stated. 

Although Stephen Barcy wasn’t at home at the time of the tornado, he said once he found out their neighborhood was hit, he rushed over. 

“I got here as quick as I could, had to park a half mile and climb through the jungle to get here,” Barcy said. 

Barcy said that although he was worried about his house, he checked on his neighbors first. 

“Houses can be rebuilt but people are the community,” Barcy said. 

Barcy also said that despite debris being everywhere and trees still falling, it stopped no one from trying to help their neighbors. 

“Everybody was running house to house checking for people that needed help, people were putting their lives in danger as well,” Barcy said. 

As the cleanup process begins for their neighborhood and Shurgar has to have certain things on his house repaired, he and members of his church, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral are doing their part to help more communities impacted by handing out boxes of supplies to those in need. 

“That’s what we do, if you can help others don’t sit around and wait for someone to come to you, get off your tail and go do something.”