Tornado Disaster Relief
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Yesterday I spent the day with about 40 people clearing a neighborhood just a few miles North of where I live. This area was hit by an EF5 that was on the ground for 132 miles. Here is a graphic showing some of the storm tracks.
The following are some photos of the area. I show these and share my efforts not to boast but to bring awareness to the fact that there are many areas that have not received any assistance as of yet. There is months’ worth of work yet to be done if not years. We were charged with clearing property for FEMA trailers to be brought in this week. I spent the day cutting up downed trees and hauling brush to burn piles but mostly cutting. Others in our group helped property owners sift through their belongings as well as just being a soul to lean on.
![The only "intact" house in the neighborhood.](/uploads/imported_attachments/dLvq_Volunteer5_14_1129.jpg "The only "intact" house in the neighborhood.")
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A friend of mine compiled this slideshow of the same day. I am the chubby one with orange gloves to the right in slide #3, chainsaw at my feet. Slide #14 I am walking away in the right of the pic.
[flash=853,505:v4fvn8jd]http://www.youtube.com/v/QHsebqXf1Vs&fs=1[/flash:v4fvn8jd]
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Good On You Boo...
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Thanks Kris. Again I am not trying to boast but to raise awareness of a local need. Although it has been very rewarding.
I guess I am also suffering from a mild form of survivor guilt. Many lost their lives, thousands lost houses and suffered major property damage. Close to 100 houses within a mile radius of my house suffered damage and I did not lose a shingle. The only thing I had to do was patch a fence and toss a tangled trampoline.I am a bit frustrated today however. I had scheduled to go out today and do more tree clearing but the local volunteer organizations are not that organized. Up until today the drill was to show up at the First Baptist Community center and register. No religious affiliation required, they just provided the venue. As of today that space is being used by the Department of Human Resources (DHR) of Madison County as a center for processing Emergency Food Stamp Applications. Another great need yes. So the cleanup volunteer center was moved to the United Way. So I contacted them yesterday with my list of tools, schedule and abilities and was told not to show up, that someone would contact me and tell me what area to start working. Great, until I got no call at all. I contacted them this morning and was told that cleanup volunteer groups were now only being organized on Saturdays. WHAT! Only one day a week from now on? The areas hit hardest still have so much cleanup to do it is unimaginable. But somehow the United Way thinks that everyone works during the week and Saturdays are the only days worth sending out groups. Not good.
Our church's Men's group is organizing Saturday volunteer groups for the next 6 months or so. I plan on working as many of those as possible but want opportunities during the week when I can get free of my desk. Time to rattle some cages.
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Eric,
It's really sad all of the people affected by this springs devastating weather. I'm surprised there hasn't been a more unified national relief effort. Between the tornadoes and floods (including the intentional flooding of 3 million acres in Louisiana a few days ago displacing 25,000 people) so many people in the countries heartland and south are displaced and suffering. My heart goes out to the families and what you are doing is commendable.
Out of curiosity, have you ever seen this much tornado activity down south? I had one come through PA last year about a quarter mile from where I was outside working. It came over the mountain and right through a 15 mile stretch of dense woods, snapping a path 50-75 year old trees, before overturning several tractor trailers and demolishing barns and roofs. I've lived here my whole life and we've never had tornadoes come further than the Appalachian Mountains. I don't think there is anymore denying of climate change. I'm guessing it gets worse before it get's better.
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I am used to tornadoes coming through this area but not to this extent. This was a once in a lifetime event but I cannot see this as the result of man made climate change. Rather a 100 year storm of sorts, like a 100 year flood. There have been storms of this magnitude in the past with loss of thousands of lives. If we did not have the technology we do now there would have definitely been thousands of lives lost in this one. Of course to the individual suffering from a single small tornado there is not much difference.
My heart goes out to the rural communities that have not received any help as of yet. The group I am scheduled to go out with Saturday might not have much to do in our area according to the pastor I just spoke with. If we can load up and drive an hour away and help a community that has not been helped yet I think that would be to our best interest. I am going to try to make that happen.
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Eric. . .It's great you are willing to work so hard to help so many. Blessings in store for you my friend.
**Just as an aside. . You wanna avoid this in the future. . .You guys need to get some mountains! Have some shipped in.
Of Course. . .earthquakes then become an issue. . .
**
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Thanks David
@unknownuser said:
Blessings in store for you my friend.
Maybe I am just trying to cancel out all the bad Shit I have ever done
Beautiful mountain shot David. We do have mountains around here, just not as tall.
This is from Green Mountain:
And these from Monte Sano Mountain:
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@unknownuser said:
I am used to tornadoes coming through this area but not to this extent. This was a once in a lifetime event but I cannot see this as the result of man made climate change.
Man made climate change? Oh, it's changing..just not by man's hand. I see your point though. I have nothing but compassion for the victims regardless of cause. I didn't intend to stir any controversy. Keep up the great work with your neighbors. -
Beautiful Mountains. Remind me of the Ozarks. . .I had a chance to be in Missouri and Arkansas a while back. very nice.
Where do you ski?
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Boo, good for you. Thanks for the post. Having survived, and witnessed the aftermath of a tsunami back in the 60's always gives me cause to pause, and reflect when viewing pictures resulting from other natural disasters. Below is a view of a run off canal a few blocks from where I used to live, and played as a child.
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We had a tornado here in Balsall Heath in the UK a few years back. Nothing like the ones in the States though.
I took these pictures.
Do you think the key to avoiding future problems is to build underground in key tornado areas?
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btw, where that bloke is standing, once stood a brick wall!!
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It's not time to move house for a more clement place?
Luck can't be infinite!
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Well I spent the day yesterday in the same location as Saturday. This time however there were only two of us, me and a volunteer from North Carolina. It seems now that the power is back and a few weeks have gone by the perceived need for weekday volunteers is gone; not so. We made some great progress and shared some time with one of the families. Their mother was in a trailer behind their house and it was thrown about 200 yards. She is in the hospital with a broken pelvis and 8 staples in her head. She is expected to recover. They also said one of their golden retrievers, of 5 that were playing with us yesterday, was trapped under the coffee table for 8 hours, only shell shocked.
Where we spent most of our day was across the street getting the majority of the brush and tree debris into burn piles. We also uncovered many photos, personal effects and one copy of The Wizard of Oz... weird I know. Unfortunately where we were working was a house where the lady lost her granddaughter. The family had placed a cross where she died which was directly adjacent to an existing pile slated for burning. We moved the pile out of respect before lighting it. By the end of the day we were joined by a Junior Air Corps group led by one of the fathers. They helped sorting through the debris pile and finishing off feeding the burn pile with the last of the brush in that area. There is still much to be done on that site before FEMA will bring in the trailers. They have to have power and water before that happens.
And these were only a couple of properties out of thousands like this. My heart still breaks.
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@unknownuser said:
Maybe I am just trying to cancel out all the bad Shit I have ever done
Catholics have it easier.
Seriously, though: 
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I saw this today and thought of you.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13430747
I can see it becoming a very useful building material.
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Cool!
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