The other recovery effort underway in weary Hugo

In the shadow of Hugo's water tower stands an oasis of sorts: two folding tables under a pair of white tents at the end of Steve and Sandy Anderson's driveway.

What started out as one cooler has grown into a convenience store for their neighbors cleaning up after the Hugo tornado. Free for the taking: Band-Aids, bottled water, gloves, M&Ms, trash bags and a sympathetic ear.

The "care tent" is staffed with pastors from Eagle Brook Church who offer smiles, encouraging words and prayers for visitors. On Wednesday, they stuffed backpacks and coolers with supplies and headed out into the affected neighborhoods. The people they encountered were often stoic and focused on the cleanup tasks at hand, said Greg Grimstad, grace pastor at Eagle Brook, but once they began talking they easily shared stories of where they were when the tornado hit.

"That's part of the healing process -- they just kind of need a release valve," he said.

The tornado's physical damage is plain to see, but harder to nail down is the extent of the storm's psychological toll on this northern Washington County suburb.

Carrie Nolan, a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross, Twin Cities chapter, said the group's mental health team -- consisting of psychologists and social workers -- was a large component of the Red Cross presence in Hugo.

And on Wednesday, they were plenty busy, both at the Hugo Fire Hall, where they were based, and out in the field.

"Throughout the day, our teams were seeing more and more people coming in," Nolan said. "Some of the initial shock has worn off."

In four days, the mental health team made 67 contacts with Hugo residents, Nolan said.

The Eagle Brook pastors said they felt a special commitment to offer their services because so many of the affected families are members of their church. The Prindle family, whose 2-year-old son, Nathaniel, was killed, belong to the church, too.

In fact, Steve and Sandy Anderson, also Eagle Brook church members, have been storing some of the Prindles' belongings. On Wednesday, volunteers from the church sat in the Andersons' driveway and tried to dry out and organize photos and yearbooks.

"We feel so helpless. This is at least something concrete we can do," said Jan Johnson.

Among the items they recovered were a wedding album and a heart made of construction paper with a photo of a mother, daughter and toddler and the name "Annika Prindle" at the top.

Sympathetic ear

As Grimstad walked to the cul de sacs to offer help, he asked homeowner Bob Downs, "You guys holding up OK?"

"Yeah," Downs said, squinting in the sun. "We have our moments, but we're OK."

The tornado had lifted the roof off his house and blew out one wall, he said. He and his wife, Sandy, were busy cleaning up the damage when the pastors dropped by.

"You can go for a long period feeling strong and then lose that," he explained. "People stopping by to give you that moral support gets you going again."

The weather forecast is not kind to those dealing with the debris in Hugo. Thunderstorms could drop up to an inch of rain on the area today and tonight. Moreover, the chance of thunderstorms persists into Saturday.

Experienced emergency workers said severe weather not only hampers disaster cleanup efforts, but also wears on victims mentally. Roseau County emergency manager Gracia Nelson said children in particular were edgy when dark skies gathered over Warroad after a destructive F3 tornado there in August 2006. The same was true last August when rains continued in southern Minnesota after massive flash floods.

"People had anxiety attacks," said Fillmore County Emergency Director Deborah Teske.

Red Cross workers have concerns about the thunderstorm forecast and the effects it could have on Hugo residents, especially the children. Kids who have experienced a tornado often have nightmares, said Elaine Brant, a retired psychologist working with the Red Cross.

Staff Writer Bill McAuliffe contributed to this report. Allie Shah • 651-298-1550