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Wow I have never seen a tornado in person, it looks scary enough on the small TV screen I can't imagine how terrifying it must be to have one of those monsters bearing down on your house.
What can we do to help? After their corrupt practices were exposed after 9/11 I will not donate to the Red Cross. Is there any other organization out there I can donate to to help our neighbors in need?
Find a church near the area that is helping out. Do a google search by city name + churches and see if you can find one in the area helping out. Chances are any small church in the area that has a building left is helping in some way.
I actually just did a google search on Tuscaloosa churches. I found a few, and shot off an email to what appears to be a larger Evangelical Church, as well as a smaller Baptist church asking what or how they were helping out the victims. Personally, I'd rather send a check directly to the people on the front lines than a national organization.
Last edited by Calvinist; 04-29-2011 at 07:13 AM..
My first reaction( had i been there) was to try to help out anybody caught in the wreckage of some of those buildings, but then the risk of downed power lines being everywhere got me thinking. Lets get some local groups posted who are helping the victims, I agree that a big national organization won't be the best to send money to. I got a Red Cross letter asking for a donation just yesterday and was going to send them a check. But now I'll wait to see whos doing the most down there and needs it more.
What a completely insensitive comment to make in a time of tragedy.
It's not insensitive.
Look at New Orleans and the Gulf region - they're rebuilding with the SAME technology that could not endure a hurricane before. Worse, that area is prone to termite damage, and rebuilding in wood is an invitation to infestation.
What is shameful, is that the 'system' imposes crappy housing at exorbitant pricing, and the home owners are the victims.
This was an EF5 that twisted steel, crumbled concrete and tossed about bricks like they were leggos. I really do not believe that it can be suggested with any crediblity that homes in the direct path of this supercell would have survived mostly intact had they been built with materials other than wood frame. I know SIPS makes such a claim but you'll have to show me where the proof is to them standing up to an EF5 in real world conditions.
One of those tornadoes was confirmed an EF5. After seeing the damage paths from both the Greensburg Kansas and Parkersburg Iowa EF5 tornadoes I would think the best place for survival in these would be underground cause concrete structures get thrashed in tornadoes as strong as these as well or better yet, drive outside of their path entirely.
According to NOAA's National Weather Service, approximately 58% of the tornadoes in any given year occur between the months of April and June. According to the preliminary count by all the National Weather Service local storm reports there have been 685 reported tornadoes just during the month of April. Of course this number includes both duplicates and omissions, so the actual number will vary either up or down, but not by a significant amount. If the trend continues, we are looking at an additional 1,200 to 1,400 possible tornadoes by the end of June, and that will only be 58% of the total number for the year. By the end of 2011 we are conservatively looking at the possibility of having over 2,000 tornadoes.
Agreed. I've been in three tornadoes, but nothing on this level for sure. Though I haven't looked at this particular link, I heard this one was on the ground for over an hour. This one most certainly was an EF-5.
My thoughts and prayers to the people involved.
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I have never seen a tornado in person, it looks scary enough on the small TV screen I can't imagine how terrifying it must be to have one of those monsters bearing down on your house.
