It was May 24, 1971.  All these years later, I still remember that it had begun as a beautiful Spring day.  At that time, we were a young couple and parents to an almost three year old and a one year old.  We were living in the first home of our own, a small two bedroom cottage in an older treed neighborhood.  A neighborhood where you knew your neighbors and everyone cared about their homes and one another.  We had spent months restoring and redecorating…learning as we went.  We were proud of what we had accomplished.  As I recall, my parents were spending time with our children at their house that morning, one mile away.  That gave us some rare free time together, but I don’t remember where we had been that morning.

While we were out, the rains had started and the winds had picked up.  I don’t remember if there were sirens back then or if we heard about the tornado on the radio but, at one point, we could actually see the dark gray funnel as it swirled furiously about!  It was behind us, in the vicinity of our home, as we raced away from it and toward my parents’ home.  The winds were so strong and fierce that, at one scary point, our little VW bug was lifted up on to the sidewalk!  My husband managed to get back on the road as we made our way to our children.  We waited out the storm at my parents’ home with our children safe in our arms.  Later, when it was all over, we ventured back home.

Thankfully, our home was intact.  There were some limbs and debris in the yard but everything was fine.  As we began walking about the neighborhood, we realized that the tornado had touched down on every other street!  There was unbelievable damage on every other street!  According to Memphis records, it was a Force 2 which covered 24 miles and injured 22 people.  Somewhere, within my boxes of photographs, there are pictures of the damage that day…but I don’t need a photograph.  I still remember.

In the early 1990’s, we were living in a small town in Kentucky.   On that particular Summer day, my husband and I were at work, our daughter was at home from college for the summer, our younger son was at the church playing basketball with friends of his and our older son was away at medical school.  A typical, busy Summer day.

Early that afternoon, the skies turned an unusual, deep shade of green and it began to rain in torrents and fierce horizontal sheets.  The winds began to literally howl – roaring loudly.  We lived in a large 1940’s Cape Cod house not far from the hospital where I worked.  Something told me that I needed to get home but it was impossible at that point to even leave the building.  I called to check on my daughter and young son.  She was at home alone and scared.  We determined the safest place in the house for her to wait.  My young son was in the basement of the church with the youth director and several other children.  They were safe.  Later, my daughter called to say that we needed to come home and that we wouldn’t believe what we were going to see.

After the storm was over, we made our way home.  Much of Elizabethtown looked like a battle zone.  Our historical street was one of the worst hit.  The elderly gentleman across the steet from us lost his house entirely as an immense oak tree fell through the middle of the house – literally splitting it in two.  His daughter had called seconds before the tree fell.  He got up to answer the phone and his life was spared as the tree fell exactly where he had been sitting.  Many others lost their homes.

A very large tree limb fell into the roof of my daughter’s upstairs room, protruding several feet into the room!  Another large tree took our back porch off.  There was other damage to our home but nothing compared to what others had lost.  There were trees that had lived for two hundred years sprawled across our yard and across the road all the way down our street.  It was a sad picture.  But we were safe.  My husband was interviewed in our front yard by national news networks about the storm and the damage to our home.  I then reminded him that he needed to call his Mom to let her know before she saw the news!  Our parents and our son needed to know we were safe.

Again, somewhere in my photo files, there are pictures of that day…but I don’t need them.  I remember.

These memories pale in comparison to the horrific scenes in Moore, Oklahoma.  As I viewed the literal devastation and heard the stories, my heart broke for those who have lost their loved ones, their homes, their everything.  As I watched people climbing over the rubble and through the debris, I wished that I had a search and rescue dog and could be there helping.  That was what they needed at that time – search and rescue dogs – before it was too late.

It will take years to rebuild everything and many years before the pain subsides for those who have lost so much.  They won’t need pictures either…they will remember.  There are several ways or avenues through which we can help at this point – regardless of where we are located.  Most of us don’t have a search and rescue dog or the means to rebuild a home, however we can still help with a small donation. 

The following is according to MSNBC:

• The Salvation Army is currently organizing disaster response units to serve the hard-hit areas in Oklahoma. Supporters are encouraged to give online or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).You can also text the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone; to confirm your gift, respond with the word “Yes.”  Donate to the Oklahoma Tornado Relief by mailing a check to: The Salvation Army, PO Box 12600, Oklahoma City, OK 73157.

• The Red Cross – Donations may be made by calling 1-800 RED CROSS (733-276-2767), or by visiting  redcross.org.   Send $10 to the Disaster Relief fund by texting “REDCROSS” to 90999 or by visiting the website at RedCross.org.
• Samaritan’s Purse – The international Christian relief organization will provide emergency assistance as well as cleaning and repairing damaged homes.  Donations to help victims can be made at samaritanspurse.org.
• United Way of Central Oklahoma – The organization advises that monetary donations are the best way to help. Fund dollars will be distributed without administrative fees to United Way Partner Agencies working on the tornado relief efforts.  Donations may be made online at www.unitedwayokc.org or by mail to: United Way of Central Oklahoma, P.O. Box 837, Oklahoma City, OK  73101 with notation for May Tornado Relief.

But probably the single most important thing any of us can do at this moment is pray.  Pray for the families who have lost so much.  Pray for strength, endurance, peace and comfort that only God can give.  Pray for those still missing that they may be found safe and alive if at all possible.  Just pray…