I tried to return to my normal life today, but that life is long gone. I did go to work and drive home and let the dogs out. But nothing is normal now. Those things that I were able to do were gifts because I still have a car and a house. A EF-5 tornado, like the one on May 20th, 2013 that hit Moore, OK, will do that to you when you are directly affected by it. No, I didn't have damage. I did have to hunker in my closet with dogs not knowing if it was heading my way or not. My dad was able to get through to me and let me know it had stayed south and I could come out. I did come out and went outside and it was still there. I was looking right at it...only I couldn't tell it was a funnel. All I could see was what appeared to be a red dirt cloud. Then, I saw sheet metal flying and knew I was looking right at it. It was at that point that I realized that three sets of family member either had direct hits or lots of damage. Eric, his uncle, Timmy, and I raced towards his aunt's house first. She has a home daycare and we weren't sure how many kids might have been there that day. We didn't get far. The power lines stopped us in the car but Eric got out and went running up the street. At this point, Timmy and I tried to get to my cousin's house. I couldn't get texts through to her and I knew she was probably at home with both of her kids. We tried three different ways to get through but couldn't. Too many other people trying the same thing, but most of them were trying to get to Plaza Towers to find their kids. Eric did make it to his aunt's house. She wasn't there and we later found out she was safe. And, we finally heard that my cousin and her kids were safe but their house had sustained a direct blow and they were in it. Thank you to the people who got them to safety in Norman. We also couldn't get to my brother's house because of all of the damage, but he was at work so we at least knew he was safe. It took him hours to get to my house and Eric and he had to walk the two miles to his house just to get him some clothes. They came back with pictures of windows blown out and 2x6's thrown into the back of the house. By this time, word had come out that children had died in that school. It breaks my heart.
They just started letting people back into their neighborhoods today. One of the news stations turned their parking lot into a donation center. They quickly had 6 semi's full of water and food along with monetary donations. Posts started popping up on Facebook about where to donate, how to help, stories of trying to reunite pets with their families, people rescuing their neighbors. Interviews with survivors who said we will rebuild because this is our home. Insurance companies out with their mobile command centers to help their customers begin to rebuild. It will take time but this city will rebuild just like it did in 1999.
My life will never return to "normal." I wasn't directly affected, but, then again, I am an Okie and a Moore citizen, so I was. I was affected because my dear family was affected. I was affected because my fellow Mooreites were affected. I was affected because my state is hurting from two days of two deadly tornadoes. And, I am proud to be an Okie and a Moore citizen. We might have been knocked down but we will pick each other back up. We will look at our neighbor's and say let's try this again. We will help each other and love each other and be there for each other. The volunteers will line the street for miles just to help clean up a cemetery because they were asked too. In the coming weeks, more donations will pour in, more volunteers will come here, and more neighbors will take their shovel and help someone who also lost their homes sift through the debris. There will be amazing stories of angels and crosses unbroken when everything else was shattered. And, Oklahoma, and especially Moore, will keep marching on. There is no other way we would do it...or want it.
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