Bradgate, Iowa - In a town of 42 homes, 30 were either destroyed or sustained major damage by a massive tornado that ripped through the main residential area. Within hours, 400 some volunteers had arrived to help begin the cleanup. Among them was a team from Nechama that distributed tools and equipment, helped clear downed trees, and later led the marathon effort to clean up the cemetery in the neighboring town of Rolf. Massive trees had been toppled and needed to to be cut up and dragged away. Torrential rains soon brought Nechama back to Mason City and surrounding communities.


Nechama was one of the first response crew to arrive in Bradgate, Iowa, population 100. Center: Ken Streiff, Deployment Manger and Perry Witkin, Nechama president, take a break with volunteer firemen. Clearing the cemetery in neighboring Rolf was one of the more difficult tasks completed, in conjunction with county crews and prison inmate volunteers..