Choices and Concerns About Friends and Family in the Storm Ravaged South

The wrath of the storms is still being felt throughout the south. As daylight dawns, teams begin the arduous task of assessing damage. Flooding is a real and present danger. The death toll from the storms has already begun.

Those of us who are in the south know that the numbers will only increase in the coming days. Many of us wait for word on friends and family and brace for what that news might mean.

I live in Tennessee. The damage is lighter here than in other areas. In truth, if you are from the south you were either impacted by the storm or know people who are. That thought is sobering this morning.

One of my college age daughters hunkered with friends in a windowless second floor room. I worried for them she reported hail that was '˜as big as tennis balls'. They were lucky. She and her friends emerged fine and with stories to tell.

A college student on my daughter's campus is making a decision that no one wants to make. Does she make the 10 hour trek south to help her parents who lost their home or does she complete finals next week?

The irony that she is able to make the choice is inescapable. As of this writing there is no word about the college campus in Alabama. How many of those students have lost their homes is unknown. As of yet, there is no way to tell.

A friend is on his way to his parents and other family members who live a couple of hours away. He has already been told that the roadways near the subdivision are impassable. The only choice is to get as close as he can and then walk.

Physically, his family all seems to be fine. Their homes are damaged and one is possibly lost. The home of another friend no longer has front windows. His porch is destroyed but he and his family are also physically well.

In the grand scheme of things these family and friends are fortunate. Rejoicing is short lived. Our gladness is tempered by reports from others who did not fare so well. For who are waiting for word, rebuilding or grieving we send our thoughts and prayers; and we ask you to do the same.