I went to Moore, Oklahoma to help with tornado relief about a week ago.
As we drove through the city influenced by the tornado, we witnessed the damage, and it was heart wrenching. The thing I found most disturbing was not the fact that all these buildings were destroyed...but how violently these buildings were destroyed.
Although I do not have a picture of it, we saw a metal pole bent from the force of the winds. And that was shocking to say the least.
Let me share with you some pictures that I do have.
This is a line of stores. The innards of the middle stores were ripped out and spat onto the ground. We saw American flags everywhere, and honestly, it made me feel better to see them. It encouraged and inspired me.
The house on the right has holes driven into its siding. This was from objects being whipped at the house during the tornado. As you can see, debris is everywhere.
These homes have damage to their roofs and basic structure. They are not adequate for living in now. The owners of these homes will most likely have to tear down and rebuild.
Behind that fence, there had been a school. An elementary school. As can be observed, It has been completely torn down now. Children died in the elementary school during the tornado. In fact, seven children were killed. Further along the fence, t-shirts, American flags, and stuffed animals had been attached to the fence to symbolize a nation that was still strong and united, and to mourn the children's deaths.
There are cement driveways but no homes to compliment them.
While we were down in Oklahoma, we built these shacks. The floors, walls, and ceiling were all insulated. Because of the issue with looting, the doors had locks on them. The only other thing worth mentioning is that there was an air conditioner in the shacks, as right now it is summer and the temperature is Quite high. While these structures may not look like much, it is a big upgrade considering many people are living in tents. Cheap tents from the local grocery store--in other words, very shitty tents that don't prevail much against the elements.
Some extra notes on the experience:
We heard one account that was very sad. Twenty minutes after this person's house was destroyed by the tornado, another individual was already sorting through their rubble looking for things to steal. The looting has gotten so bad down there that the victims of the disaster carry around weapons and shots can be heard at night.
Also, while we were driving around looking at everything, we noticed how on one side of the street, numerous houses were completely flattened, and on the other side, the buildings were untouched.
Escaping the powerful winds was solely because of luck.
I remember seeing children's toys laying on the curb, awaiting disposal, and that was hard to think about. The area was completely deserted, and seeing personal items like clothes, toys, etc put tears in my eyes.
Another interesting thing to look at was some of the trees. Those that were attacked head on were bare of all leaves, and they were bent in the most awkward ways. At some points, It really felt like a dead place. Eerie and without any recognizable forms of life.
And one last note: homes that were past repair but were still standing were marked by spray paint. And just like the last note, it was chilling to see this. To see the windows boarded up or broken in, to see the garage door missing and several walls as well...to see into someone's closet and see their clothes still hung up neatly...even though the rest of the house was gone. It made me feel empty. I wouldn't want a number painted onto the corpse of my house...I wouldn't want to have to say goodbye. You know what I mean?
Although it seemed like we weren't doing much while we were in Oklahoma, we actually were. We delivered two of the shacks we made to people who needed them...and when I say "needed them," I mean it. They couldn't live in the places they had previously called "home." The first house was consumed by black mold and the walls and ceilings were caving in on them. The second house had severe damage to the roof and walls--tarps covered the roof and wood boards had been nailed in to support their walls.
Overall, I really learned what it is like to serve. We were doing something for people who could give us nothing in return.
I truly won't forget this. It has touched me on so many levels.
