I know the Joplin, MO tornadoes have faded from everyone's minds. The city is finally getting to the business of rebuilding. The heavy equipment
that was bulldozing and hauling away debris is now starting to quiet down. The air quality has started to clear up some. The FEMA trailers have been
moved in for the homeless. The banks are loaning money for new home building. All the outside support, FEMA money, Red Cross Money, and community
wide collaboration has helped the population move on, and the local economy is currently booming. There were so many heroic stories, and so many sad
stories. Off the top of my head I can think of an Eyeglass Business that worked tirelessly to replace and repair eyeglasses for anyone, for free!
There was a healthfood store that was in the path, but was miraculously spared, and she donated food, vitamins, toiletries to anybody that asked, no
charge. There were dozens of restaurants opening early and closing late to make food and deliver it to the rescuers and workers.
Anyhow, my brother emailed me a link to a video made by someone he knows. It is a typical drive down Rangeline, and then 20th street. It has the
drive before the tornado, and the drive after the tornado. It is set to great music, and they have edited it so that the drives occur
simultaneously.
That is my hometown, and I am not an emotional man, but it gave me goosebumps and knots in my stomach.
Watching this video, I had the overwhelming urge to go home. I plan to visit in August. I can't imagine how it feels for the people there, trying to
get back to their normal routines, and have to face this drive every single day. It is their new norm. It is unimaginable to me. My mother was
brought to tears yesterday, when she noticed that the few remaining trees are actually starting to get new green buds on them. A sign of hope, and
things will eventually be right again.
ETA:
By the way, the light poles in the video are the new ones. The repair and construction is on-going. There were no light poles left standing. These
are new ones.
edit on 16-7-2011 by getreadyalready because: (no reason given)
Thank you for sharing this. I actually think of these people/town often and wonder of their recovery.
This event touched me, I felt moved and saddened by so much loss.
My thoughts are still with them . . .
I thought what is it like for the children and young adults in this town? I imagine it must be especially hard for them to grasp. It was poignant to
see the school bus in the after video driving by so much denuded landscape, and so much mess still left behind.
edit on 16-7-2011 by
TheBirdisDone because: (no reason given)
As in all things in life, I suppose it takes things like this to appreciate one's blessings. My mother has been brought to tears many times since
the tornadoes. Some parts of the town were closed off, and now they are reopened, an she says visiting those places is unimaginable. The pictures
and videos do not do it any justice.
I had friends that felt lucky their homes were spared with minor damage, only to find out from the insurance adjusters that they would still have to
be razed, and then only given 1 week to get out the important personal items, before the bulldozers came through!!
My brother was on the ground immediately after the tornado, and before any emergency personnel arrived. He worked tirelessly through that first night
and following day, and then all of a sudden he wasn't allowed to help anymore? He got to see first hand what red-tape, and government take over is
all about. He also lost a couple of acquaintances that were working in the restaurants that were destroyed that night.
As for the children, the tornado scares lasted for about 10 days after the major one. My 4 year old nephew spent hours in and out of the "tornado
closet" for those next few days. The sirens continually blared, but kids are amazing, and resilient, and his excitement and curiosity outweighed his
fear. Then, about 3 days after the tornado, his daycare was struck by lightning and caught on fire! Once again, the excitement and retelling the
story to his parents and family outweighed all the fear.
The kids will be fine, the economy is booming, the trees are starting to bloom, and the people are moving on, but for us on the outside looking in, it
is just really beyond comprehension what they went through, and persevered, and are now recovering from, and all in good spirits and high hopes.
Really, really amazing!