Please pray for tornado victims

As you no doubt heard, America's heartland was hit by dozens of devastating tornadoes Friday night. The destruction is off the scale, and dozens have been killed.

So much happened overnight that reports are still coming in. The death toll could be astronomical.

With so many buildings smashed into matchsticks, where do emergency services personnel even start? Rescue efforts are compounded by power outages all over the place.

Please pray.

Prayers for Oklahoma

News is coming out of Oklahoma that dozens of school children may be dead after an elementary school took a direct hit from a series of massive and destructive tornadoes. Brave teachers covered children with their own bodies, but unknown numbers have died.

My heart absolutely breaks with this news. I can't fathom the pain these people are experiencing.

And it isn't just the school. Entire subdivisions have been leveled with untold amounts of death and destruction. People have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and in many cases their lives.

This tragedy is still unfolding, so as of this posting no one knows the extent of the destruction or lives lost. Many communications lines are down and cell phone coverage is jammed or congested. But as one news article put it: "Jamie Shelton, the public information officer for Moore [Oklahoma], had pleaded with residents to seek shelter before the storm dissipated. 'It's happening as we speak,' he said. 'People need to take this seriously... Take precaution, be aware. If you're outside the area, please pray for us.'"

Prayers coming.

Tornado tracks

I found this last night on SurvivalBlog (here's the direct link for a larger version). Fascinating.

This is 56 years of tornado tracks, graded by F-scale. SurvivalBlog makes note that the scale of the tracks is exaggerated and made more linear than actually occurred.

Prayers for the midwest

I pray everyone stays safe in light of these horrible storms tearing up the midwest.

Close calls

Along with the rest of the nation, we've been following the tornado and storm devastation in the Midwest with great concern. A friend's grandmother is still missing -- we are desperately hoping it's due to communications breakdown rather than anything more serious.

(To those affected, take heart. Rosie O'Donnell has proclaimed your troubles are all caused by global warming. Isn't that nice?)

I learned some of my loyal readers are right there in the midst of the chaos. I received the following email from Save the Canning Jars:

Hey Patrice,

Here in the heartland, breadbasket, tornado alley, we had a close call with... well, a tornado! Yesterday, a big honking tornado was on the ground for 60 miles before it lifted. Our meteorologists in Oklahoma are exceptional and interrupted regular programing to provide live coverage to viewers. We literally sat in front of our television and watched several tornadoes "being born" and maturing very quickly. This was covered mostly by brave photo-journalists in helicopters and storm chasers on the ground who were driving wildly, dodging debris, filming, and giving continual live reports. Talk about multi-tasking! This went on for hours!

The pre-tornado weather had been so strange. Dark, hazy, heavy moisture, soupy, ominous weather. The air/environment was just wrong! Anyone who has never seen a tornado would known something was seriously wrong with this weather. After the tornado passed, I could only thank God and spent the whole night dwelling on how blessed we were to have been spared. Even in the night, I woke up and told God that I saw how the newscast footage of the house north of town and how it had been wiped off the foundation and the cellar completely exposed. My house would have faired the same way...meaning we would have been sucked right out of our basement since it is not concrete overhead. That house and my house were built the same way. The cellar would hold up against a smaller tornado, but not what came through (EF 5?) Told God that He has once again spared my life and thanked Him for diverting the tornado. We are blessed!

Save the Canning Jars

PS: Oklahoma Pastry Cloth Cook also had to jump in her cellar as the tornado in her area damaged numerous houses. Can you imagine trying to be a meteorologist trying to cover multiple tornadoes across the state at one time? I think there were 6 in all.
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Canning Jars, Oklahoma Pastry Cloth, and everyone else out there -- be safe! Please, folks, keep those in the Midwest in your prayers. They've been facing a lot.

I sure hope my friend's grandmother is all right...

Worst outbreak since 1925

I understand the death toll from the series of storms and tornadoes that hit the south is now up to 343, making it the second deadliest series of storms to hit the U.S. since 1925.

I cannot even begin to fathom the level of destruction left in the wake of these terrible storms. Our prayers are with the survivors as they rebuild their lives.