Jeremiah returned late last night and cried as he told me of the massive destruction he witnessed. Buildings turned to rubble, steel beams twisted and mangled, cars piled up 3, 4, 5 high as if someone picked them up and plopped them there. They went to the hospital first to see where they could offer their help. Unfortunately, there wasn't alot of organization and it was total chaos. There were some firefighters standing outside trying to figure out a plan of action, they directed them to the command center around the other side of the building. As Jeremiah and our friends walked toward where the firemen had directed them, they were met by a nurse who instructed them to help move some patients from the upper floors of the hospital. They moved quickly to remove patients most obese, some amputees, some wheelchair bound, it was a devastating site and a difficult task. When he returned home he was overcome with emotion for the tragedies that he witnessed in Joplin.
Today was an interesting day. Waking up this morning to hear that the death toll had risen to 89 people was kind of sobering. I knew that it would wind up being pretty high. We were listening to the police scanner app on my iphone late last night and heard them order 20 body bags....I began to sob, I had to stop listening and just go to bed. This is all too much.
Aidan had an appointment at the surgery center this morning to have tubes placed in his ears. As I drove there I couldn't help but notice how quiet the streets seemed, how dark the clouds were. The procedure was quick and we were on our way home just an hour and a half later. As we left the surgery center the sky was so dark it looked like it was nearing night time not 8:30am. Thunder was booming across the sky and as I walked to my car a light rain began to fall. I looked toward the West and all I could see was this huge wall of dark clouds...I panicked. I couldn't find my keys fast enough, rain was falling and I was just so nervous that another tornado was soon to come. I can't believe how nervous I was, it was ridiculous how I was acting. Cursing my keys for being lost in the diaper bag, frantic, praying...this is how yesterday's tornado affected me...and as I drove home I had more than one thought that I should go pick my kids up and just keep them home with me the rest of the day. I had to fight the urge several times to drive over there. Even after I was home I sat there with my keys in my hand waiting for the thunder to roar and give me an excuse to scoop up my babies and cuddle them at home with me. That reason did not come. There was no huge impending storm...my imagination was just running wild with the maybes. Every cloud looked suspect, every raindrop was one step closer to disaster.
We went to Freddie's for lunch today. Usually it's so busy with people and noise, today there were still a lot of people but everyone seemed to speak in hushed tones. The news was broadcasting reports of the devastation on the TV's in the restaurant and it seemed that the tornado seemed to be on everybody's mind. Everywhere we went it just seemed like everything was going in slow motion, like everyone was just moving a lot slower and taking in everything....even Walmart, crowded as always, just seemed to be a little quieter today.
The radio stations have been taken over by the news reports still pouring in. The death toll has risen to 116 and I expect it to continue to rise. Right now Joplin is a huge mess. People we know have lost their homes. Our Stake President has lost his home.We have lost our Stake building (a "Stake" is a group of congregations in a geographical area, in our case we belong to the Joplin, MO Stake. The Stake Center is an LDS meetinghouse designated in Joplin where all the congregations can meet together for conferences and any other stake business) The High School has suffered massive, massive damage and our Stake Center was just across the street from it. Following are some photos I gathered from various sources on Facebook to showing the High school and our church. (I believe these photos were taken by Carmen McIntyre Borup, if I am wrong please correct me...)
The High School
JOPLIN LDS STAKE CENTER
The Steeple...
Interior of the Joplin LDS Stake Center
I love how the painting of the Savior washing the disciples feet was left unharmed and is still hanging. It's amazing...it's a wonderful reminder to me that I must go forth with Christ-like love and serve the people of Joplin.
I personally have not yet ventured to Joplin nor do I plan to at this time. I'm sure that in the coming weeks and months I will be there frequently helping to clean up and rebuild where ever I am needed.
If you want to help, here is a fantastic link that lists all the places you can take supplies, all the fundraising efforts, etc.
I'm sure there will be more to say in the coming days...
10 comments:
down here (in Bella Vista, AR), we are praying for you. How scary. We sat in our basement through the same series of storms...Anyways. just want you to know that you all are in our hearts and prayers.
So sad.
I have a little award for you over at my blog.
Thank you for the information! I've been wondering if you were affected...I didn't realize HOW close you live to Joplin!
My heart aches for all those affected. When I lived in Houston we had a record hurricane - the devastation is really beyond imagination, isn't it? There are no words to accurately describe how it feels, how it looks, how it hurts.
How on earth do you go about cleaning up and rebuilding? We're so blessed to be members of The Church and have that support system.
Keep me posted. BTW - I totally dropped my Facebook account. Email me mamaferrin@gmail.com
I just now had a chance to read through all of this carefully. I didn't realize you were so close to Joplin. We have listened to some of the news and it all just seems like a horror movie. We are praying for you.
wow Alida!!! I didn't know you lived so close. I can only imagine the fear you must be feeling right now. SO grateful you guys are safe and will pray for your continued safety.
Wow. I'm so sad for those who have been so adversely affected by this. They are all in my prayers.
It is all so sad. My heart is breaking for all those who lost loved ones and lost their homes. I cannot believe all the devastation. I can't imagine all the emotions you guys are going through. I'm so glad you are safe. Thank you for taking the time to write it all out.
Thanks for sharing your feelings, Alida. Like Jeremiah, I have had bouts of tears forming in my eyes at random times. The devastation is indescribable. The chaos was indeed frightening. The fear, pain and suffering of those in the hospital palpable.
We are all a product of our environment/life experiences and because of that I am changed as a result of our efforts there. I saw Jeremiah's post about going, and saw the Weather Channel story live and did not think twice. I knew we had to go!
"Stuff" may come and go in our lives, but family and friends are not replaceable!
Thanks for posting this information. I had seen those photos and they are quite sobering especially when you realize there were people in the building at the time. I'm going to check out the link you provided.
Hello Alida... this is going to come up under Lil, but actually, this is Carmen, you did credit my pictures correctly. What ward are you in? I stumbled on your blog when my husband was laughing because I was so kerfluffled over how far I have had to come out of my comfort zone because of those pictures and he googled me. That was a little disconcerting. Never google yourself... :) The whole tornado and the life after has been surreal for everyone, and while I think that at some point we will create a new 'normal', I don't think that things will ever be the same. I don't know how far away you are, but it doesn't sound like far. If you are close, I am sure that you will agree. Sifting though rubble for someone's wedding ring... taking four hours to walk two miles so that you can help your daughter's best friend's family out of what remains of their home and then trying to convince a senior citizen who needs to leave that a walmart bag of batteries and another of coins shouldn't be what they choose to carry those miles back... staying up all night with your eighteen year old daughter because it's raining and it was raining that night too... packing nineteen people and four dogs into your storm shelter two days after the tornado because everyone in the neighborhood knows that you have one... there are those memories... and then you remember the people who drive around in pickup trucks and offer water and food and drive by and by and by... groups that walk from house to house and want to do anything that they can to help... all the facebook messages that I got from people saying that they wanted to do something for us, but they couldn't do anything but pray, and so they would... my cousin's little Pentacostal church in Tennessee that took up an offering in the week after the tornado and sent our church $300... countless others... These are the memories, and I want to remember everything. So blogs like yours are priceless. These 'tornado stories'. Even people that don't think that they have one because they don't think that they are 'sensational'. Everyone has an experience that counts for something. Our tragedy doesn't have to remain tragic. So keep your account. I will be posting more pictures soon of the 'de-construction', and you are welcome to those. Thank you for your story!
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