As many of you probably know, in the last week there have
been 45 confirmed touchdowns of tornadoes across 12 states spanning from
Louisiana up to Illinois and over to the Carolina's. As of March 5th there have been 39
deaths and hundreds have been injured. Reports
say that it is still too soon to know the cost of the damages; some reports say
in the millions and a few even said the billions.
One
family has recently grabbed the attention of many Americans. After
learning that a tornado was headed straight for them, Stephanie
Decker wrapped up her two small children in a comforter and held them
in her arms using her body as a shield from the debris. As their home was crumbling around them she recalled hearing her children screaming, "Mommy, I can't live without you! I don't want to die! Please don't let
me die!" After two
tornadoes touched down back to back flattening their three story home,
the mother was left with seven cracked ribs and lost both of her legs
from steel beams. Her children walked away without a scratch.
Henryville, Indiana where the Decker's live.
The Decker's home before the tornado.
The Decker's home after the tornado.
Living in areas not affected by tornadoes it is hard to comprehend the amount of loss the people in the South and Midwest have felt. Most of us have at some point lost a possession that we feel is of great importance or value to us; whether it be the dad's pocket watch or a piece of grandmas jewelry you thought was safely put away. You dig through your closet, look under your bed, pull out the sofa cushions and sometimes you just breakdown in a panic that it’s gone. Now imagine your entire home and all its possessions gone in minutes. Your books, the flat screen TV, your favorite dress, the pictures of your childhood and your children’s childhood...all gone.
The
link below is of the article posted on CNN about the mother:
Living in areas not affected by tornadoes it is hard to comprehend the amount of loss the people in the South and Midwest have felt. Most of us have at some point lost a possession that we feel is of great importance or value to us; whether it be the dad's pocket watch or a piece of grandmas jewelry you thought was safely put away. You dig through your closet, look under your bed, pull out the sofa cushions and sometimes you just breakdown in a panic that it’s gone. Now imagine your entire home and all its possessions gone in minutes. Your books, the flat screen TV, your favorite dress, the pictures of your childhood and your children’s childhood...all gone.
Within the next week the news will say less and less about
the damages occurred from the destruction, but the affects of the tornadoes
will take years to rebuild and repair.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
In circumstances like these the number one suggestion is to
donate money to help rebuild the homes and cities. Some of you reading this may
be thinking that there is no money in your account to give. We are not talking
about hundreds of dollars. $10 can go a
long way, especially when there are hundreds of people making that small
sacrifice. The most reputable organizations are listed below for donations:
-
American Red Cross
o
www.redcross.org,
click on Donate, disaster relief
o
Text REDCROSS to 90999 for an automatic $10
donation charged to your next phone bill
o
Mail a check for as little or as much as you
want to American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243,
Washington, DC 20013
-
Salvation Army
o
Go to the national website is www.salvationarmyusa.org
o
Text GIVE to 80888 for an automatic $10 donation
charged to your next phone bill
o
Mail a check to the Salvation Army at P.O. Box
100339, Atlanta, GA 30384-0339
Another recommendation that doesn't cost a dime is to donate blood through the
American Red Cross. You can locate blood drive locations on their website at www.redcross.org.
For those of you in a tornado affected area, they suggest
donations of water and snacks be dropped off at local food banks.
Photos pulled from www.rueters.com, www.today.com and http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-201_162-10011491.html?tag=page
Statistics pulled from http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/05/march-tornado-outbreak-a-sign-of-things-to-come/
