TN Tornadoes!

Last Monday night 2 powerful tornadoes with wind speeds up to 175 mph ripped through Nashville and Putnam county, about 60 miles north of us, as the crow flies. Pretty scary considering that the US Weather Service reported that one of the tornadoes had a 60 mile path! We had some strong winds, torrential rain, and a pretty spectacular lightening display but we were still upright in the morning.

The tornadoes hit in the wee hours of the morning, and considering the damage, it could have been a lot worse. As it was 25 were confirmed dead and several still missing. At least 385 residential properties and 184 commercial properties sustained major damage or were completely destroyed. It was reported that one car dealership is "missing". Emergency crews worked hard to search for victims. Public service crews have worked round the clock to restore power to thousands. More than 50,000 were without power and only about 5,000 remain.

People show their true colors during tragedies. There are countless stories of people who helped one another - a husband dragged his wife off the bed and laid on top of her to protect her from flying debris. A son saw the tornadoes on the TV and called his parents to warn them. They made it to the basement just in time to save their lives. Numerous people joined in the search for their neighbors, even though their own homes had just been destroyed. The local hospital is accepting whatever insurance pays for victims treated for injuries and if the people don't have any insurance the hospital isn't billing them. Mom always says there are more good people in the world than bad. Good deeds just don't seem to be as newsworthy. It's tragedies like this that put the spotlight on those good people and reaffirm our faith in humanity.

--Cruz