How You Can Help

Growing up in coastal North Carolina, I was not overly concerned with tornadoes. You can certainly get tornadoes in that part of the United States, but it isn’t exactly “Tornado Alley.” The only tornado that I recall striking Carolina Beach was the one that reportedly demolished the water tower adjacent to the public library during one of the hurricanes that impacted the area. Living in the Triangle, I took shelter in a bathroom or a closet on a few occasions. But again, it isn’t exactly “Tornado Alley.”

Living in the Midwest as I now do, tornadoes are more of a prominent concern. You notice the tornado sirens when you drive through the region in the daylight. I have taken shelter in the basement on a couple occasions as a result of tornado warnings since I have been here. I once was readying myself to carry an elderly adult down the stairs to the basement if the tornado bore down on us before they could negotiate the stairs. I heard the tornado warning coming out of Iowa the other night and was concerned. A tractor-trailer is no place to be during a tornado. It is always a good idea to know what county you are driving through so that you know whether you need to take shelter when you hear a tornado warning on the radio.

The images and news coming out of the impacted states are shocking and distressing. My brothers and my parents were born in Kentucky. Below is a link to an article on ways that you can help if you are so inclined. It is specific to Kentucky, but I am sure that similar options are available in other states. Please keep our impacted countrymen and countrywomen in your thoughts and prayers. 😔

https://wfpl.org/heres-how-you-can-help-tornado-victims/