- Joined
- Aug 7, 2013
- Messages
- 1,863
I think I am still in shock over the fact that my hometown was ripped in half by an EF-4 tornado last Sunday. There was one fatality in a town of almost 15,000. I am not exaggerating when I say that I know 30 people who lost their homes and everything in them... these are close childhood friends with whom I've shared holiday meals, to friends that I'd stop and chat with or 10-15 minutes in the local grocery store when I was back in town to see my parents. Another 20-30 acquaintances are homeless with nothing left. It is so unreal. I live only 45 minutes away. My dad passed away in April of a fast and furious case of pancreatic cancer. My mom is all alone now, and thankfully, her house was unhurt. But do you know what she was doing during the storm? Vacuuming the basement. She didn't even hear the sirens. She knew severe weather was forecast but she went about her day as usual. Now, my mom does not really have a need to vacuum the basement. No kids, no pets, no food in the basement. She is probably down there to vacuum the dust 4 times a year. But of course she was down there at that moment, on that day. And that is because my dad is with us, always. A true miracle that she didn't even hear the sirens-- my dad didn't want her to feel the panic and desperation of being alone during such a powerful storm. She only knew something was wrong when the power went out.
Other friends in town have horrible tales of being petrified, so so many close cases of "If only _____ (insert detail) wouldn't have happened, he/she wouldn't be alive right now." Too many stories to retell here! It's crazy. My husband and I worked in the fields yesterday to try to recover personal items. It was mostly just field clean-up, though. Almost nothing was recognizable. Lots of twisted little metal bits, splintered 2x4s, and plywood. This field was a mile from the edge of the neighborhood that was decimated. Where did all that stuff go? No one can wrap their heads around it. I have three kids, ages 10,8, 5. We are often in Washington... I was narrating what we were seeing as we drove in. I had talked to friends and I had seen the aerial views. But as we went around the bend of Rt. 24 and I saw the destruction in person, it literally took my breath away. Toothpicks that were 2x4s... things strewn everywhere. Those barren trees, the trees are so eerie. Working in the field yesterday was like a funeral, of sorts. There were hundreds of volunteers out there. But everyone was so quiet as they worked. I saw bits of painted drywall... what little girl had that pretty lilac room? I picked up half a bra, puzzle pieces, one green lego. More shingles and plywood and twisted metal. We were told to leave piece smaller than our hands. We left a lot.
The photo recovery sites on Facebook are AMAZING! My personal friends are getting their photos back! People my age (39) and younger have digitized memories... they are in texts, on facebook, in emails... but the older generation doesn't have that and to get these photos back is incredible. And it's not just the photo they're getting back. It's knowing of the effort of strangers in the suburbs and city of Chicago who care enough to walk their yards and neighborhoods... their forest preserves. The kindness of strangers has been incredible.
Other friends in town have horrible tales of being petrified, so so many close cases of "If only _____ (insert detail) wouldn't have happened, he/she wouldn't be alive right now." Too many stories to retell here! It's crazy. My husband and I worked in the fields yesterday to try to recover personal items. It was mostly just field clean-up, though. Almost nothing was recognizable. Lots of twisted little metal bits, splintered 2x4s, and plywood. This field was a mile from the edge of the neighborhood that was decimated. Where did all that stuff go? No one can wrap their heads around it. I have three kids, ages 10,8, 5. We are often in Washington... I was narrating what we were seeing as we drove in. I had talked to friends and I had seen the aerial views. But as we went around the bend of Rt. 24 and I saw the destruction in person, it literally took my breath away. Toothpicks that were 2x4s... things strewn everywhere. Those barren trees, the trees are so eerie. Working in the field yesterday was like a funeral, of sorts. There were hundreds of volunteers out there. But everyone was so quiet as they worked. I saw bits of painted drywall... what little girl had that pretty lilac room? I picked up half a bra, puzzle pieces, one green lego. More shingles and plywood and twisted metal. We were told to leave piece smaller than our hands. We left a lot.
The photo recovery sites on Facebook are AMAZING! My personal friends are getting their photos back! People my age (39) and younger have digitized memories... they are in texts, on facebook, in emails... but the older generation doesn't have that and to get these photos back is incredible. And it's not just the photo they're getting back. It's knowing of the effort of strangers in the suburbs and city of Chicago who care enough to walk their yards and neighborhoods... their forest preserves. The kindness of strangers has been incredible.