Southern storms

[Speedy's DAD]

Our Pack and Troop put together a cookout last weekend to feed the people in one of the areas damaged by the storms that came through Raleigh, NC on the 16th. What started out as a Wolf Den making a few sandwiches turned into about 80+ Scouts and Scouters from across our district (Neuse River district) feeding over 200 families over 2 days with grilled chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs, ham sandwiches and various side dishes all donated by local businesses and individuals. I was amazed at the outpouring of so many.

 

So many have lost so much. The fury of those storms cannot be fathomed unless you see the damage up close, in person.

 

One of the saddest things is that we ended up delivering most of the meals on foot or by vehicle to the people because we found that they would not come to where we were set up to feed them due to fear of looters. To have lost so much and still be afraid of losing more to the scum of the earth is just hard to imagine.

 

As I came home each night after helping to feed those people, I looked around at my humble abode and thanked God for the safety of my family and His many Blessings. You just don't know what you've got till its gone.

 

For those still in the thick of it, I'm praying for you.

 

For those of you who can, I urge you to donate or go help out. This is going to be a long recovery and rebuilding process for thousands. And they can't (and shouldn't have to) do it alone. They need our help.

 

Remember the Scout Oath. "On my honor........"

[Eamonn]

Growing up back in England, I can't remember ever having to deal with Mother Nature dealing us much grieve.

Back in the late 1980's, here in SW-Pa. We had some very nasty storms go through. I really don't remember the details, only that they were bad enough to be covered by the media in England and I had a good many friends call from home to see if we were alright?

About a month ago a tornado did touch down not far from the jail where I work.

It done some damage, taking the roof off a local high school and knocked some trees down. Thankfully, no one was really hurt.

I have watched the recent storms on TV. My heart goes out to the poor people in the areas that were hit.

The damage is almost more than I can comprehend.

I feel kinda helpless, knowing that the best I can do at this time is to just send a check to the Red Cross.

Not trying to high-jack the thread.

Three years ago during summer camp a night time storm went through the camp and even though the camp had been inspected a large limb came down, hitting a tent with two Scouts sleeping inside it. One Lad got off with a few cuts and bruises, the other had a broken collar bone.

Please take the time to check that the tents your Lads use this summer are safe and clear from any tree limbs that might fall.

Also be sure to check the Bad Weather Plan that the camp has in place and share it with your Scouts.

Eamonn

[BrentAllen]

We were ready for the storm, and ended up barely hearing some thunder. It all went north and south of us. Some of the communities I work with were really hammered. I've heard the schools in Ringgold, GA are closed for the year - they won't have them repaired before the end of the school year. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost family members. May God bless them.

[packsaddle]

Found the only damage so far. The wind ripped the cypress shakes off the roof of my wood shed. I only noticed this today and I'm doing the repairs this weekend. Also picked up a neatly stacked set of hub caps I was going to use to replace some damaged ones on my daughter's car. I finally found them scattered across two neighboring properties. But aside from these things, the odd tree limb, and a LOT of leaves, we were unscathed. I had just cleaned the gutters and overnight they were completely filled with storm debris, but I'm definitely NOT complaining. It's almost as if the storm hit and skipped around.

[click23]

In the county next, Bradley County TN, to mine there were 9 fatalities, 285 homes destroyed, 195 homes with major damage, and 176 with homes minor damage.

 

I drove through the area on the way to my moms over the weekend, I have never seen anything like this.

 

My wife works with three people who either lost their homes or they were heavily damaged.

 

I know most of the news coverage was from Alabama, where it a major city, but to see some of the damage from Tennessee here are some pictures from the Bradley County EMA, http://goo.gl/QWbqZ. Most of the damage shown is from an EF4 tornado that was at one point 800 yards wide and on the ground for 35 miles, it was the same tornado that devastated Ringgold GA. Some of the more minor damage was from the other 4 EF0 to EF2 tornado's that they had.

[JoeBob]

The Lawnmower Effect in Alabama: