Tornado Alley

We survived yesterdays horrific storms but many of our friends were not so lucky.  A young friend of ours whose wife teaches with my daughters was in the Plaza school when it took a direct hit.  We were unable to get any word of his condition until late last night.  Cell phones were down and of course no one could even get to that area but finally someone called his wife to tell her they had seen him and he was helping pull children from the rubble.  Later we learned that none of the children he removed were still alive.  He is in shock (understandably) and it will take a long time for him to process what has happened.  School was to be out for good this Friday.

This is the school where Justin was a teacher.  Several of the children drowned in the basement.

Ron left Okla. City at 5:00 yesterday and didn't get home until midnight.  We are just about 10 miles south of the path of the tornado so getting home was an obstacle course.  But at least everyone is ok. 

I was texting my best friend when the storm hit and she lives right in the path of the storm.  She has MS and was home alone.  She text me that she was in her hall but was scared.  The next text I received said "I can hear it" and then I got nothing further.  I suspected her cell phone was dead but it took awhile to find out just where the tornado hit and I realized it was about a block from her house.  I finally got a call from her this morning and though they have minor damage and a lot of debris in their yard, no electricity or water, they are safe and unharmed.  My next question to her was "are you ready move?"  This is the 3rd major tornado that barely missed their house. 

This is what came within two blocks of her home!

We are setting up here at our hospital to take in displaced children with special needs.  We are also doing a wheelchair and adaptive clinic for people who lost wheelchairs or they were damaged.  That's going out as a public announcement this morning.  We may use our camp cabins to house some displaced special needs adults whose group home was destroyed last night.  

This is whats great about Oklahomans.  We've unfortunately had a lot of practice as responders to horrific events in our state.  People are more than generous.

Nothing like an F5 tornado to make you gain perspective.  The death toll keeps rising and so many of those are children.  A little thing like schizophrenia and dementia just don't seem that big of a deal in the light of day!

Check this out!  Watch to the end.