Friday, May 24, 2013
Snippets and status updates
Insights posted on Facebook that I don't want to forget, whether for future reference or whatever reason.
Around 2 or 3 a.m. Tuesday, finally home about 12 hours after the deadly and devastation EF5 tornado ripped through Moore and south Oklahoma City, midway between where I live and where I work 25 miles away.
Even though this tornado devastation looks like what happened May 3, 1999, in that same area of Moore and south Oklahoma City, emotionally it feels like April 19, 1995. Moore was eerily dark as I came through from the north after 2 am. And then I-35 passed through the floodlit areas, with a destroyed hospital on the right and twisted trees and debris all around. It will be hard to face driving through that in daylight tomorrow -- and it's not even the hardest-hit area. Confirmed death toll is 51, and it is expected to rise to at least 91. Gracious Lord, please hear our prayers and comfort these people.
Around noon on Tuesday, May 21
Preparing to head to OKC office from Norman. Dark sky, steady rain and thunder and lightning -- but hopefully no hail or tornados. Roads jammed between here and there. And these are minor inconveniences compared to what so many in Oklahoma face. Praying for all involved.
Afternoon of Wednesday, May 22
Seriously: Interstate 35 northbound toward Moore is backed up to Robinson Street in Norman. Emergency responders and supplies are stuck in the quagmire. If you don't have to be on I-35, take a detour. I guess I had to find out for myself.
(Moments later) I am stuck in detour traffic now, but it is the right choice. It's not about me.
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I forgot to add a note that, by Tuesday afternoon or so, the death toll was reduced to 24, and that's where it stayed. My sense of hopelessness really was tied to those high numbers that had been reported as confirmed. Once the reality was known, as sad and tragic as the situation still was, it became easier to process emotionally and mentally.
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