I just drove through this town less than 24 hours prior to this, and many people I went to college with and know live here. Some of them have lost everything. Neighborhoods are completely leveled. Somehow, only one fatality has been reported.
We had no idea yesterday that it was this bad. I blogged yesterday as we sat downstairs with a tornado warning. I had heard one touched down in a nearby town, but at first it sounded like it was out in the country with no homes nearby. It wasn't until we came back upstairs and hopped on the news and Facebook that pictures like these started circulating, and we realized the true extent of the horror.
My heart breaks for these families who have lost all their possessions and are starting over again, as well as for the family of the one person who was killed. I was definitely very grateful last night, as I went to sleep with a roof over my head and a nice, warm house to wake up in. You see images like this on TV or in movies, but it isn't REAL until it hits this close to home.
If you are at all interested in helping out, the Red Cross says what they need most right now is financial donations.
You can go here and where it says "make this donation in honor of an event," type in Central Illinois Tornado Relief.
Some of my friends have organized a toy drive for these families, as they assume many of them will be stressed enough worrying about putting roofs over their families heads this holiday season. It's crazy how fast those storms came through our area and how devastating they were. I'm certainly thankful my friends and family were all spared, and my heart is broken for those who weren't as fortunate.
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