I saw several hurricanes come and go while living in Florida, and while we did see the random aftermath in our local communities, it was never anything terribly severe. We lived inland, so aside from some wind damage and loss of power, we really didn't witness the degree of devastation that I have recently been confronted with after this past week in Oklahoma. This is all new to me - living so close to the confusion created by a powerful tornado. Our little town of Norman, OK goes on like normal, untouched for the most part, but just a 5 minute car ride down the road to our neighboring city of Moore offers a completely different view, but not necessarily the view that the rest of the world sees. I want to share that alternate view, because it offered me some peace, and maybe it will do the same for you.
At first, I was very hesitant to go anywhere near Moore, partly out of respect - keeping distance so as not to add to the already cluttered, parking lot that I-35 had become during the days following the storm, but also, I kept my distance, because I did not want to see the destruction. Didn't want to come face to face with the reality that a few miles meant the difference between our town and theirs. Knowing that we could have just as easily been placed in the path of the monster. But something happened as I rode through the streets of Moore - I began to feel relief. You see, while the destruction is overwhelming in the path where the tornado ripped it's way through town, the majority of the town remains standing. Yes, it's covered in mud, trash and debris, but it is still standing, strong as ever. There are shopping centers and complete neighborhoods untouched. There are schools and churches ready to operate as normal. And, most importantly, the majority of Moore's residents are alive and well and bustling around town - cleaning, helping their neighbors, attending to business and carrying on with their lives. It gave me a great feeling of hope and reassurance to see that life does go on in Moore, OK.
Something else that made me feel comforted as well - seeing the number of people helping out - serving food to anyone in need, booths set up for insurance claims to be filed, trucks coming in from all over the country to help with debris removal support and any other type of support needed to help these good people clean up and rebuild. I hope the country will continue pouring their efforts into this town. It feels good to know that if tragedy strikes, there is an overwhelming level of support available. Most of all, seeing how Oklahoma folks rush to aid and support their fellow residents has touched me in such a way that as I approach my one year anniversary of living here, I feel proud to belong to this state.
I mourn those that were lost, and I offer comfort and strength to those that lost loved ones or their homes and belongings. I am most certainly not downplaying or ignoring the fact that many lives were painfully touched by this tragedy. I agree that even the loss of one person is too much, but in a completely honest voice, I have to say that given the amount of people and homes and businesses in Moore, I am so amazed and thankful that based on the size and power of that tornado the destruction was not even greater. So, when you're seeing on the news a stretch of nothingness and flattened homes and death, please feel at least slightly comforted knowing that much of Moore is alive and well - even though it is not shown to you, and that those strong people will recover from this. Mother Nature pulled her strongest punch on Moore, OK, and they responded by standing back up, dusting themselves off and beginning to move courageously forward.
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