Word Processing

First of all, I felt weird about broadcasting that I planned to go volunteer. In no way did I want to look like a better person because I want to help. Mostly, I knew that unless I told someone, I would not go. Putting it out there was my point of no return.

This post has no pictures for a reason. Seeing pictures and being there are two very different things. This is mostly for me to process what I did and what I saw there. I've been home only long enough to shower, and it will be rolling through my mind for a long time.

The church I have been attending is hosting the Samaritan's Purse Disaster Relief team. It was good to be able to go with an organization that has training, experience, and equipment. All food, water, and work gloves were provided for any who came to help. I had the best banana of my life complements of the Red Cross, and the Salvation Army served a lot of hot dogs today!

As you drive into town you see telephone poles snapped in half; mangled cars lined up in a field for insurance appraisals; highway patrol asking every vehicle why they are there. Any homes still standing have tarps over holes in the roof and boarded up windows. Trees are ghostly, full of clothes and carpet, bark missing. I saw one tree snapped over at the base with a long piece of metal that had somehow wedged itself into the jagged trunk of the broken end.

The sounds put you in another place as well. You occasionally hear police sirens, beeping of equipment as it backs up, chainsaws, objects falling as buildings are demolished and trees are cut down.

Pretty much everything is debris. Shingles, pieces of wood, glass, insulation. You can pick up some big chunks, but a lot of it has to be scooped. There are also a lot of demo-type jobs. Taking down pieces of wall or cutting limbs from trees. Another bonus to being with an organization is that they have seen a lot of this before and are looking out for our safety.

The debris was to be sorted into five piles: "construction" materials, household items, metal, appliances, and hazardous chemicals. We found several photos, important papers, etc. throughout the day and set them aside for the homeowner to go through. The homeowner was so grateful to receive a dirt smudged picture I found of his daughter.

It feels weird calling someone the "homeowner" when you are standing next to what little is left of their "home."

The family we helped has a young girl and a baby. It was weird to see a can of cherry pie filling among many other things that had flown into the little girl's room. The father had an amazing record collection. I would say at least 100 of them, probably more. When an item was questioned about whether or not it was salvageable it was saved. You have no way of knowing if it had any sort of sentimental attachment. The wife's wedding dress was found. Not in good shape, but she could maybe get it cleaned or keep a piece of it. We found lots of DVDs, baby toys, kitchen utensils, clothing, books. I have heard it said before, and it was definitely true today that you have to shut off your mind.

I was a part of a team of 15-20 people. We worked all day at one house. I did a lot of raking debris and scooping it up to toss into piles. The goal is to clear everything away from the foundation. There is a giant pile of debris outside of town. I assume most of the piles we made are destined for places such as that. It was hard for me to put so much effort into making piles when it will need to happen again when the piles are moved. Hopefully that happens with some big equipment.

I'll probably think of much more to say later. We made progress, but there is so for to go yet on this one house. There were over 250 homes destroyed by the storm. There were a lot of volunteers there today, probably thousands. I heard that one of the several NFL teams with an Applington-Parkersburg graduate is coming to help. Today was a good turn out since it is a Saturday and near perfect weather. Will there still be people to help after the excitement goes away?

Destruction Zone

I have looked at hundreds of photos, and I've watched coverage on the news every day since. Even still, these photos are the most awe-inspiring that I have seen. How turning wins can do so much damage. Winds of over 200 mph. It still stops me in my tracks to look into the faces of the students who have lost their homes.

Aerial Photos


To update the volunteer status:
I signed up on Monday with the Dunkerton City Hall. They didn't call me. Most of the efforts there are covered by family and friends. Parkersburg residents have until Saturday to find anything salvageable among the wreckage. After that, they will be able to use more volunteers. I just heard on TV that if you show up and register at the Methodist Church they will tell you where to go. I'm hoping to go tomorrow or Saturday. Monday and Tuesday at school will be community service days. We are taking the students out to pick up debris in the fields. Due to the danger involved with picking up debris, they made free tetanus shots available to any families or staff. I can't even tell you when my last one was, so I signed up. Bring on the rusty nails, I am protected!

Update

The tornado has been officially labeled an EF-5.

9 Dunkerton families lost their homes.

Parkersburg must have made more national news programs. Evening news with Charles Gibson said tonight that many people sent e-mails and said that they were touched by the story from yesterday. A family from Chicago ordered a bride-to-be a new dress for her wedding.

My student whose house is shown above managed to save her Euphonium. She is a senior next year and will go to UNI the following fall to study music.

We will not be making up the day of school we missed yesterday. In fact, we are squeezing projects and finals into the next two days in order to spend the last day and a half, June 2 and 3, with students cleaning up debris in the fields.

It was so sobering to talk to those who came to school today. They have been through a lot already, and they have so far yet to go.

TORNADO!

A few photos of the tornado destruction.

Several of my students lost their homes. The first three pictures are of one of them.

Parkersburg was the worst affected. The tornado was rated on the new scale as an EF3 which means winds of over 165 mph. Seven people lost their lives. Over 2oo homes were completely destroyed. Hundreds more significantly damaged. They say it is one of the worst tornados to hit Iowa. It made the Today show and was announced as a federal disaster area. The storm track was about 43 miles.

When I heard about the storm on Sunday afternoon, I was in Churdan spending time with friends. I called my friend Sherri to make sure she was okay. She is also a new teacher at Dunkerton. Her family is okay, and she said her home was spared by a block and a half. A teaching couple from Sentral, my fourth and sixth grade teacher, moved to Parkersburg after Fenton several years ago. Their home was destroyed. The high school is gone as well.

Parkersburg still has a curfew of 8:00 and all residents must be out of town each night. It will be a few more days before the power is on for the homes that are still intact. The national guard is expected to help with cleanup. It scares me to think what it must have been like to be there during the storm.

School in Dunkerton was cancelled for today. I called and put my name on a list to help volunteer. Parkersburg is such a mess that they are not yet to the point where they can accept large groups of volunteers. They have to sort through everything by hand in order to see what is salvageable.

There are videos and photos if you want to see more. KWWL.com has several news segments. The photos on here are from facebook groups.

Please keep the families in your thoughts and prayers. It will be a long cleanup and rebuilding process.

*** ALERT ***

As the school year draws to a close, I believe this to be pertinent information. P.S. I get more forwards working at school than I did when I was thirteen.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a medical alert about a highly contagious, potentially dangerous virus that is transmitted orally, by hand, and even electronically. This virus is called Weary Overload Recreational Killer (WORK). If you receive WORK from your boss,any of your colleagues, or anyone else via any means whatsoever - DO NOT TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your private life completely. If you should come into contact with WORK you should immediately leave the premises. Take two good friends to the nearest store and purchase one or both of the antidotes - Work Isolating Neutralizer Extract (WINE) and Bothersome Employer Elimination Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidote repeatedly until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system. You should immediately forward this medical alert to five friends. If you do not have five friends, you have already been infected and WORK is controlling your life.

Hey Good Cookies!

Looking for flowers in the weeds...
...in no particular order.

- No more junior high singers in groups of more than 10.
- Today was the seniors last day!
- The fifth grade finished watching Newsies today. I LOVE that movie!
- I got a workout today setting up risers and the portable stage for graduation. I did have help, but I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty either.
- When asked on their evaluation whether or not they would like to be in choir next year, four JH students put IDK. (Hilarious, but also somewhat sad...)
- The sun was shining today!
- My mom called.
- I managed to bake the chocolate chip cookies just long enough. Mmm...
- The principal had some supportive things to say about my experiences this past week. (Not many aspects of that will make it on this list)
- I'm going to go buy some groceries! This is a big deal!
- My nephew is due to arrive in approximately 24 days.
- I'm going to Des Moines this weekend! Grilling, Sister, and Friends!
- Only one song left to perform this year!
- In 13 days I will no longer be a first year teacher!
- I'll actually be home to watch Grey's tomorrow night!
- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!