Tornados

Interesting change in weather patterns, probably connected to global warming, but I never realized we get tornados here in New Jersey until I moved here. A couple years ago, one rips through Madison where I’m living at the time. It touches down, goes back up, touches down, back up, and touches down again a few times almost randomly hitting and skipping neighborhoods. It leaves trees down everywhere and millions in damages to many homes in the area.
 
And it is only an EF1. The lowest rating for tornado strength on the scale.
 
My accent sometimes betrays me. I come from Oklahoma, the buckle of the tornado belt. Tornados are a way of life there. You pay attention. You take shelter. You get out of the way. Or not. 
 
In May of 2013, I’m doing a wedding in El Reno, Oklahoma and the entire wedding party huddles in the dank and damp basement of the old post office waiting out what turns out to be the largest tornado on record. This one is an EF6. And it grazes the downtown area—it tracks less than a mile away! Close call for us.  
 
It is as devastating as you can imagine. More. The aerial news photography shows a mile-wide swatch of land where you can only see streets, driveways, and foundations where the neighborhoods used to be. I don’t remember how many people die.  
 
Nothing is left—everything is swept away and strewn across the state. 
 
And so it goes with the EF3 tornados that struck Kentucky and the mid-South this weekend. The death count keeps rising as they find more people. If you’ve seen any of the coverage you know—it’s just as bad as you can imagine. 
 
So I’m sure you wonder—every time disaster strikes—I’m sure you wonder, “what can I do?”
 
With Sandy not really that long ago—everybody here knows the destruction and damage left in the wake of a hurricane. Out in the Tornado Belt, it’s not a matter of what, but when disaster strikes. 
 
In Oklahoma, we established a permanent committee just to traffic the disaster response agencies and to speed the process of getting aid to the people who need it most. Otherwise, you gotta reorganize a committee and reinvent the wheel every time. It wastes valuable time and resources when people need the most help.
 
What can we do? The temptation is to collect clothing, household goods, toiletries, water, etc. But the fact is, on the ground? All that stuff ends up getting in the way. 
 
I remember seeing walls of pallets of bottled water months after tornados. One of my pastor friends was still trying to give away the 200 shovels somebody sent her church. “Please take a shovel! What am I gonna do with 200 shovels?” 
 
One thing I learned—I personally witnessed our own Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) in action. PDA is really effective, nimble, and on site. They are excellent at getting to the table with Red Cross and FEMA and the other faith-based aid organizations channeling resources to affected areas. They are great at it!
 
So, the best thing we can do when disaster strikes—whether it’s Kentucky, the coast of Florida, Puerto Rico, or right down the shore—the best thing we can do is give money to PDA or the Red Cross. They tap their vast network of volunteers and mobilize right away. Our money goes right to the heart of the disaster with efficient and cost-effective resources and humanitarian response.
 
It’s the most effective way to fund EXACTLY what’s needed EXACTLY where it is needed. 
 
What can we do?
 
Pray.
 
Send money to PDA.
 
And, if you really want to get into it, volunteer.
            
Grace & Peace,   
Scott