Deadly Storm Outbreak

I guess Corona wasn’t enough to cause stress and wreck havoc in our lives, because now we are dealing with deadly tornadoes.

Recently there have been 26 tornadoes that have touched down and caused complete and utter devastation in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. At least seven people have been killed by these severe weather monsters. There have been several fatalities due to flying debris and overturned trucks and automobiles on the interstates. 

Fortunately, there were only 20-30 people seriously injured during these tornado episodes. There are still search and rescue efforts in effect for many of the impacted areas. There are other kinds of casualties in the areas, however. “Unfortunately the storms are destroying many houses. We need to help all of the people that were affected,” said LHS varisity baseball player Jack Nice. By donating blood with the Red Cross or giving of our time and treasures we can make a difference in the lives of those who are directly impacted by these severe weather events.

The National Weather Service reports that the erratic weather pattern could last for a couple more days in the areas that have already been the hardest hit. There was widespread damage to buildings, cars, and homes in southern Oklahoma, eastern Texas and through central Louisiana.  Marshall County Emergency Management Director told the Detroit News that there was a person’s body found about a fourth of a mile from a trailer factory where a suspected twister hit.

At least three people died in Texas when the tornado touched at 6 p.m. In Houston, a storm chaser reporting to Fox News described one of the tornadoes that touched down as the “biggest he has ever seen.”  Not only are there tornadoes, but it is to be expected that there will be straight line winds near 70 mph with golf ball sized hail and flash flooding. “Thankfully, the tornadoes have settled down but now there are terrible storms with widespread rain and powerful winds,”  Williamsburg resident Marie Nice observed. The impact of these storms could cause as much, if not more damage, as deadly tornadoes.

In such a brief period of time, the tornadoes have traveled across several states and dangerous weather continues to move across the south. The deadly tornadoes and severeweather began in late March and it hasn’t settled down yet. To stay safe, you need to stay inside, follow the COVID-19 “Stay at Home” guidelines, and move either underground or to an interior room in your home in order to keep you and your family safe if a deadly tornado should strike your area. Gracie Gallagher said, “ I am terrified of tornadoes and scared for hurricane season to come. We can’t prepare as well as we are used to. What if we run out of food or don’t have enough supplies to sustain us?” Many people are pondering that same idea as Gracie Gallagher.  Even though we are in the middle of a pandemic we can’t forget about the importance of preparing for  sever weather events including; tornadoes, hurricanes, and strong winds and rain. The storms rolled through the south at the end of April. The storms destroyed homes and buildings.

Everyone can help. Donating to many charities will benefit the victims in many ways, and you don’t even need to leave your room. The American Red Cross is one of the top charities that help hurricane victims. You can learn more about this amazing origination by just going to this website: https://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/disaster-relief/hurricane-relief.html. 

Every singe dollar helps a person effected.