Friends of ours live in Joplin and we've had several conversations since the devastating tornado that struck in May. Susie had some excellent advice, and something I never, in my wildest dreams, would have though of on my own, sad to say. If there is a tornado warning, make sure you have shoes with you. Their home was safe, but half of the folks in their church lost their homes. Friends and family lost their homes. Susie said, "Can you imagine trying to walk without shoes if your house was destroyed?" Great lesson.
Another suggestion from Susie was to have a weather radio that has batteries, and a crank, incase the batteries stop. That radio provided essential information for the Joplin community. Electricity was unavailable or spotty. No INTERNET, then spotty INTERNET. No phone service, then spotty phone service. Just like what I had read about September 11th, texts were more likely to get through than cell calls. People were able to learn that friends and neighbors had survived. They were able to ask for something their family desperately needed.
Have a system that allows quick access to the most important family documents...Grab it and go to the safe place. Reminded me of what I did during the wait for my daughters...When there were tornado warnings, I grabbed my paperwork and took it with me! Couldn't imagine losing those vital papers! After Hurricane Katrina, I read that the folks that were able to re-establish themselves most rapidly were those that had evacuated the area with identification, social security cards, and information for putting together a resume in their new community.
I think of our friends and their community every day. The worst challenges and circumstances almost always bring out the absolute best in humanity. I have no doubt that will be the case with Joplin. In the words of my friend, Marla, it could have been any of us.
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