Tornadoes, Tornadoes, Tornadoes!!!

[Pen]

Wow. Just wow. I cannot even imagine it, I watch the footage and it is so unreal.

[Kennedy]

1st I want to thank all of you for your prayers and thoughts. Our power came back on late last night. Thank you Jesus!! You don't realize how much we depend on something until we don't have it to use.
It will take months if not years for everyone to recover from the 27th of April here!! I feel so bad about how I felt sorry for us last November. We got nothing compared to what is happening now.
And this is just the start of what we call tornado season. I've really never understood the "tornado" season concept. We can get them any time of year here.
I don't know about if it's because we live in more area now or not?
Happy to know the rest of us Dixie Chicks are all okay. Take care everyone!

[LaurieS]

Now is that trailer you were going to suggest that your son and family move into temporarily still standing or are they back at your home?  With all the devastation and destroyed lives, I'm sure having your son  and his family in your home for six months might be looking a little different.  This could bring out the best in people, sometimes the cruel awakening to how fragile life is help us all appreciate each other more.  Glad you are ok.. this was a horrible blow for so many.

[Rose799]

I hope tornado season has ended, but somehow I doubt it.  Glad to hear you're back home safe & sound, Kennedy. 

[Kennedy]

Hi Laurie, Yes the trailer is still standing and okay. But if they want to stay  with us they know they can. When we mentioned helping with the rent until their home is finished it was  for their sake too. Not just ours.  But I just can't see where anyone would want to live with someone if they could keep from it. They are their own little family and they have their routines and habits. I'm sure having the children with Grandma 24/7 isn't what they need either. LOL Face it... I DO spoil those grandchildren. LOL
They are just about 4 or 5 minutes away. So they will be able to be in our basement nearly in a blink of a eye. After last November NONE of us take any chances on weather.
So what happened here only 3 days ago only makes that more true!
But if they need or want to stay in our home? They are more than welcome! I just know that it will not be easy. I'm not fooling myself after everything I've learned by reading on line and in books since becoming a MIL.
And even if it was only our Son who wanted to move back in, I'd feel the same way. I like .... no.... LOVE my husband and I having the quite time and everything that comes with finally getting to this stage in our lives. We earned it! IMO.
I get along great with our DIL and I just wouldn't want anything to mess that up! So I tread lightly when needed and try to really watch out for something that may trip me.

[Pooh]

Hey everyone.  Well I am off for the afternoon now and wanted to try and catch up some.  Thanks for all the well wishes, thoughts and prayers.  Kennedy, FAFE and anyone else I missed, I am glad to hear everyone is safe.  I am trying to watch my health as all this is going on, but.....I don't have much choice right now but to do what needs to be done.  I wrote a note for my FB page because everyone has been asking me there what is happening with us, so I thought I would just copy and paste it here to give you an idea where my head is at today.

I'm going to try and read some posts and play catch-up today.

Love you all!

[Pooh]

 I have not had time to sit back and reflect much over the last few days.  I woke up this morning and realized it was Sunday, a day that my entire life, has been set aside for worship.  This is the day that I was raised to believe was a time to come together, give thanks and be with your family. But this week, this is my fifth Sunday in a row.

     The calendar day of Wednesday, was my first Sunday. My Sunday began around 9:30 a.m. when the first tornado hit our County. My Sunday gained momentum at 3:00, when the second one hit, and my Sunday went into overdrive at 6:30, as the third arrived. By the time the fourth and fifth hit us around 8:00 and 9:00, I couldn't have told you what day it was supposed to be.

     I remember as the evening tornadoes started, looking towards the ceiling and thinking, "What is that terrible roar?" as I was answering one 911 line after another. Our Assistant Director asked, "Have you heard that sound? It has been roaring for several minutes." The roof sounded like someone was pounding it with a baseball bat as golf ball sized hail started. The cameras showed the hail going sideways, as if someone was standing there throwing it at us. The sky was showing totally black on the camera as the lightning flashed one right after another. The roar was louder and the power was flickering. It finally dawned on me, that it was the tornado. I had one second to think that we were in trouble before picking up the next 911 line. Other people in the building started banking our back wall, as it is the safest place. I looked up in amazement as not one dispatcher was moving, but just continued picking up one 911 call after another. The dispatchers were trying to send help to everyone and no one moved. There was not one thought to their own safety during those scary few minutes because people needed them. There was not one hesitation or question of should they get to somewhere safer. They were not abandoning their post or their community.

     I was relieved from the console, and our EOC was activated, so I moved into there to start that process. I continued going into dispatch when I could, delivering messages, drinks, whatever they needed. Each time I walked in, I would hear another person on the phone with someone trapped, assuring them we were trying to get to them. I also realized then that we had people in the EOC on our other two training consoles, taking calls and they had been the entire time. I saw that one of them was a dispatcher that had got off work at 3 and immediately went in there and started again. I would go into dispatch and would hear another person telling someone that they were trying to get them help. I was back and forth between the two rooms, and I started hearing frustration in their voices. I finally realized that we were out of people to send. Everyone was on calls and they still had 49 different calls of people trapped, and no one to send. They were near tears as they tried to get help from other counties, who were in the same bind as we were. I heard that we had units in some areas that couldn't get to people because of the trees blocking there way. At one point, I heard one of our ambulances had been flipped. I heard one of our Officers was trapped in a car. The evening was blurring together as each tornado hit but everyone stood their ground and kept going. This went on for hours and they still acted professionally and calmly.

     As the hours have ticked by all week, each day has turned into Sunday. I have watched as our fire departments went from Firemen to Humanitarians. Once the calls were handled, they started delivering supplies to the affected people. I have watched our Police Officers and Deputies go from handling calls to having to stand guard in the the most devastated sections to keep people from looting. I have watched EMS personnel go from handling the hurt and sick, to turning one of their stations into a collection point for donations. I have watched boundary lines dropped as each agency has been covering the other. I have watched volunteers go out, day after day to assess damage. I have watched hundreds of people volunteer their time and shoulders to help. I have watched hundreds of organizations supply food, showers, shelter, supplies and delivery service. I have watched vendors, contractors, suppliers and local businesses volunteer and donate. I have watched local officials, state and federal officials do everything they could to get help into the area. I have watched our staff do whatever anyone asked them and many things that were not asked of them. And above all this, I have seen tears.

     So this is my fifth Sunday. If Sundays are about family and thanks, then I have had five Sundays this week, because I am thankful for so much. I am thankful for the safety of all our personnel. I am thankful to live in a community that loves their neighbor. I am thankful for the donations and outside help we have received. I am thankful for all the schools, organizations and churches that are feeding everyone and organizing relief efforts. I am thankful for all the volunteers. I am thankful for my husband who provided food for everyone when all the stores were without power Wednesday night, his understanding and his own service as he has been working in the Collegedale community as well. I am thankful to work with such incredible, amazing individuals. I am thankful my own family and friends are all safe. I am thankful of all the Police Officers, Deputies, EMS personnel, Fire Departments, EMA Staff, TEMA staff, TWRA,Red Cross, Salavation Army, Forestry, Utility Companies, Road Departments, THP, Rescue and others for their tireless service and dedication with no regards to their own safety and homes. I am thankful that we are not the only community with all these same professions doing the same thing.   And I am thankful to our 911 center staff and employees. Everyone else is part of our lighthouse, but you guys are the beacon that brings everyone to safety.


So this is my fifth Sunday, because I have spent every day with my family, my friends, my community and my gratefulness.

[luise.volta]

Thanks so much for bringing us up to date, Pooh. You are an amazing woman! Sending love...

[Kennedy]

Pooh, Sweet heart I know "exactly" how you feel! While reading your post tears are flowing down my face. You said that all so perfectly! What a wonderful person you are!
Everyday I wake up thinking and praying that it's over. No more bad news please dear God!! No more! But as of this morning it's still coming. Our DIL called me about a hour ago in tears.  A high school friend of hers that lives in Birmingham,Al. has died! They were hoping she would make it,but she didn't. And she is heart broken! They have a new born baby girl that was found a mile away from their home. But she is okay. Thank God!!!!
Tornado's make NO SENSE at all!! Kill this one and leave the one they are holding unharmed. I am so ready for this nightmare to end! But I don't know when that will happen?
We are gathering things to take to shelters tomorrow. Basic things like toilet paper,diapers,baby food,shampoo ect.
Like you Pooh, I'm beyond grateful for all the Lord's blessings and for protecting my family and loved ones! My heart breaks for all the families in so much pain right now.
I feel helpless! And that is a awful feeling!!!!!!!!! Prayer is all I know to do! And I've been praying and praying and will continue to do so.
Hug those you love and tell them as often as you can. Today is such a gift!! Such a blessed gift!

[holliberri]

Pooh, thanks for sharing.

If I can send a cash donation somewhere you think would be most beneficial (same to you Kennedy), please let me know. I figure you both know best which areas need it most, versus what I've been told to do on the news.

[lancaster lady]

It's hard to imagine life as you know it living here in my part of the world .....sending hope and strength across the miles to all the devastated families . To our unsung hero Pooh and her colleagues .....heartfelt thanks for your dedication . Take care Pooh ....x

[Rose799]

Pooh, thanks for sharing.

If I can send a cash donation somewhere you think would be most beneficial (same to you Kennedy), please let me know. I figure you both know best which areas need it most, versus what I've been told to do on the news.

Pooh, if you can provide an address, I'd also be happy to contribute.  Actually, I'd prefer that it go directly to a family rather than through an organization. 

[Pen]

Yes, Pooh, we'd love to help.

Pooh, please consider submitting your powerfully written post to a publication. The Christian Science Monitor often publishes such material, and of course there are many more out there.

[pam1]

Take care Pooh, Kennedy, FAFE and all the other Southern Belles.  You all are in my thoughts.

[Pooh]

Thanks everyone.  I will tell you what I know about monetary donations.  Two of our groups that are in charge here are Red Cross and Salvation Army.  I was told that if you specify it to stay "local" or a certain City, it will, but I'm not so sure about that.  They have been wonderful here and we will be eternally grateful, but I have always understood they take administrative cost out somewhere.

We have not got to the point where I have heard of anyone taking up money specifically for certain families yet.  Pretty much around here everyone is taking up items and necessities right now for the local area.  And I have seen that same spirit throughout the south.  Seems like each individual community has organizaed donation sites. Now, we were hard hit, but south of us in the Ringgold, GA and Alabama areas, they are even worse off.  My hubby is an Officer for our adjoining county, and they had as many fatalities there as well.  They fall in the Hamilton County, TN jurisdiction and they are referred to as Apison.  It was very widespread. 

There very well may be some organizations that are taking up money to be distributed to everyone, but I have not had time to look at many other areas other than ours and Apison because my hubby works there.  I did see where Verizon had numerous ways to text certain names (I think City names) to a certain number and it would add a $10 charge to your bill.  I thought that sounded very simple, but I have no idea how it truly works as I haven't looked into it.

I'm sure Kennedy has some more info about their area and if I hear of something that goes specifically to a family, I will let you know.  I am the same way...I want to feel like I made the most of my contribution and that it gets to the actual people.  On my end, I always contribute to 911 cares as it goes to dispatchers that have been affected in any of the areas all the way across the united states.  That is personal on my end due to my profession and they are trusted as they return 100% of the money.  We deal with them and TENA cares (which my Director started last year to help Tennessee Dispatchers) as I trust both of them. 

Pen thank you for your kind words.  This and fb are the extent of my posts on anything.