Nothing but ‘gone’ can be described of the town of Henryville, Indiana. As National Guardsmen and Policemen keep everyone but emergency workers past the I-65 exit, citizens of Henryville flock to area churches for food and shelter. Home videos of the multi-vortex tornadoes and damage flood the internet and news channels. It is said that such an outbreak is one of many to come this year – trends normally seen in the Midwestern states.
It seems truly impossible for us to know the power of storms until they’ve demolished entire cities. To speak from experience, weather threats often don’t mean much until damage is evident. On Friday, Louisville narrowly escaped the storms.
We’ve seen, not only construction, but lives ripped apart by Mother Nature’s wrath, we must wonder how and if we can rebuild.
While the victims of the March 2nd storm are without heat and water, they do not lack hope. It is tragic, yet heartwarming that such catastrophic events are responsible for defining community. Within hours of the ruthless tornado outbreak in the surrounding states, disaster relief efforts of locals and neighboring towns began. It’s a feeling so comforting in the midst of adversity – as shown by Tori Robbins, who drove to Indiana (with her boots on!) as soon as the storm passed to assist with cleanup.
For most of us, the devastation in Henryville will escape our minds after a few days; but homes, schools, and office buildings won’t rebuild in that time. The Cardinal encourages you to remember the families affected by these tornadoes and plan for natural disasters.
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Photo: Nathan Gardner/The Louisville Cardinal
