Kentucky Tornado: Two Things to Watch for
I want you to watch for two things as you see the coverage of the massive tornado damage in Western Kentucky. I’m from Kentucky, and as you may be aware the tornado traveled over 200 miles and at the time of this writing it had killed more than 70 people (expected to rise) and done massive damage.
If you want to know the character of Kentucky watch for these.
1. This was little covered, but immediately after the tornado, people showed up at the candle factory with their trucks, backhoe tractors, whatever they have, to help dig people out and to rescue anyone they possibly can. These are members of the community, assisting an overwhelmed fire and emergency service system, saving people.
They weren’t invited.
They didn’t need to be.
I’m reminded of a time in my life long ago. If you have ever lived in a close knit community you will say to yourself “of course.” If not, then you won’t get this. April 3 1974, over 300 tornadoes came through Kentucky and the surrounding states, killing hundreds. One of those tornadoes came through our farm and basically wiped out operations. Two very large barns and some other buildings were collapsed, trapping animals, destroying equipment, a decade of growth completely lost.
That night we had over 200 of our neighbors show up to help us dig out, coming from far and wide. They spent most of the night working to at least give us a head start in rebuilding. We didn’t have to call them, they just showed up, bringing whatever equipment or expertise or simple strength that they had.
My Dad and Uncle were in tears, the support – physical, emotional and spiritual – was overwhelming.
This is Kentucky.
As the Governor mentioned this is “neighbors helping neighbors” a phenomenon that is not lost in America, though perhaps not as prevalent as it used to be. Maybe I missed it (as I mentioned, it doesn’t get covered a lot) but some of the disasters that could have been served by community support, were not. During 9/11, New York (pretty much the opposite side of the cultural world from Kentucky), was a prime example of community support on a national basis, with emergency responders coming from all around the country.
2. If you are not able to help, they are asking for prayers first. Even if you are not particularly religious, you should recognize that this is what people in such a community do – whatever they can. They are part of the assistance even when they can do nothing physically, getting ready for the opportunity to help when they can. This is how a community pulls together, and people in Kentucky are very connected.
I’m sure they will ask to donate to assistance funds later and do so heavily. But that is the easy part.
This too, is Kentucky.
A decent, truthful, honest, non-partisan article… thanks for that.
Keep in mind that the federal government is also acting on behalf of all citizens when they send federal support to states after a natural disaster. I’m sure that President Biden, if he hasn’t already, will authorize money and support to the region (including the other 4-5 states that were hit), regardless of the politics there. It’s refreshing when the government can put politics aside and help anyone who needs it. It is no substitute for local emergency response, but the need for support from this disaster will continue for months or years.
The pictures are horrifying. In Mayfield, KY, there is hardly a building left standing. It appears that the entire business section of the city is flattened, and no doubt, the 100 people working in the candle factory were right in the middle of it. But the devastation also includes homes well outside of the center of the city as well. The line of tornadoes followed the river northeastward for 200 miles, and fortunately, stopped just short of Louisville, with a metro area population of about 3 million.
I’m proud to be an American, the most compassionate & giving people on earth.
Right Mark. And some people will take if you don’t give. The looters are probably already at work.
Hey! Come up with your own goddamned name. Don’t impersonate me!
Uh oh Joseph You have committed treason against the socialist. You had better say some hail satans and drink blood to get right with your comrades
Well, Horold Blankenship, what if I post left-wing propaganda and sign with your name? And maybe even spell the name correctly? Or I could stick to right-wing propaganda and make you look even more stupid than usual.
Mark, yes, we give bombs and destroy societies for the betterment of our military industrial complex.
Other than that, we aren’t even close to being the most compassionate or giving society
If we didn’t have bombs we would be speaking jap or German now
Charlie and the case of white washed history. Our military wasn’t the most bloated on the planet at that time. But nice try. Keep lickin those boots.
Yes, Americans are most generous, a compassionate people willing to send money and bodies for the cause.
I just love that we are not only leading the world in vaccine charity, but telling them about it and to join in too. Good to be a partner rather than just quitting all our alliances, agreements, and international-agreed-upon laws that the past four years lead us to.
My condolences for Kentucky, friends, families, and neighbors. Glad we have FEMA ready to come to your aid too even in Rand Paul wants to leave that to the States, always thought that a bit weird. The Kentucky number is big, scary, and hopefully will not happen again.
I hope Kentucky will do an audit of the why’s and wherefores here. 200 mile path is huge and not sure the current warning systems do much update after the early miles, the first 50, to tell the rest “this fcker is serious….” Gonna happen again somewhere, and in my State, NJ, we have a few dust-busters touch down, no real damage, usually South Jersey, but only last fall did a pretty good one hit towards Phili, that’s unusual. It’s clear we are not prepared, warning system wise, to really sound the alarm. We put a watch up, no change. We put a waring up and most people just go about their business, at best, keeping a weather eye which works even less at night. If one like Kentucky or even less hit us, I guarantee people would be caught in the wrong places.
My prayers and a few dollars, via FEMA suggestions, go to the people of Kentucky.
The democrats are already playing politics with this disaster. Have they no shame?? Of course not. Already whining about climate change and weaponizing it against republicans. And it’s all a damned lie Just like during 9/11. Everyone got patriotic and got religion. I told someone that it would blow over when the finger pointing started. And it did
Dennis,
Speaking of playing playing politics with natural disasters… your boy Rand Paul, who repeatedly votes against disaster relief for blue states is now begging Biden for disaster relief. Biden, is graciously complying and vowing help
Ben you posted a damned lie
Dennis,
What damn lie did I post?
Or are you just talkin out your ass again?
Well, the tornado that Gilbertson is alluding to happened on April 3rd, 1974. You can look it up on Google. It’s actually relatively normal to have a stray tornado or two in the March-April timeframe. It is EXTREMELY unusual to have tornadoes in December.
Repercussions about 911 are still happening 20 years later. We still have the Department of Homeland Security. The Patriot Act was extended multiple times until it finally expired in 2020. George Bush rode the 911 horse for 7 years after the attacks for his re-election and to justify the wars in Afghanistan (which Biden finally ended this year) and Iran.
Temperatures hit the 130’s (hotter than the Middle East!!!) in the area around Portland, OR and into Canada. There have been extreme dry weather conditions in the western states for the last 5 year, resulting in forest fires that sent smoke all the way to the East Coast. And yet, a few times in the last few years there have been atmospheric rivers that drops extreme flooding in short bursts on some narrow areas of the Northwest. The South is getting twice the number of Hurricanes than it did a few years ago. The Northeast has had 100-year floods about every other year. In the last 20 years, more than half of the years hit records for the highest average temperatures every recorded. 99% of scientists agree that man-made global warming is causing these unusual weather events. How many of these things do you have to see to believe? It’s not like you can’t pick up a newspaper (or the online equivalent) and see these events every day. It’s like you have to actively put your fingers in your ears and cover your eyes and sit in a dark room NOT to hear about this.
The sad part is, the way to fix the global warming problem is to invest in clean energy technology, which creates jobs, makes manufacturing cheaper, creates less air and water pollution, and will ultimately make everyone’s energy bills cheaper. And Republicans STILL won’t vote for it.
Well, I’ve lived through a tornado and there is pretty much nothing that can last through a direct hit. I’ve seen 2×4’s ripped off of a structure and driven 8 feet into the ground, and a piece of straw driven into a fence post. But the real issue is that it takes a long time to change building codes, and another 50 or 100 years for a majority of buildings to meet the codes. The older buildings took the most damage, the newer ones took less, but they all had to be repaired and rebuilt.
It looks like they could have done better with warnings. Our early warning system is right out of the 1950’s – radio and TV based. Big civil defense sirens in towns that still have them (and they still work). But someone has to monitor the warning systems to man the sirens…
The last President did nothing to anticipate disasters, little to respond to them (and usually in a partisan manner), and even dismantled some of the infrastructure (in particular, pandemic warning and response). Let’s hope Biden will recognize the importance of early warnings, and give FEMA a kick in the ass. Of course, Republicans will probably attack him for spending money on the issue.
You must have gotten hit in the head with a 2/4. Something screwed up your thinking
This storm was perpetrated by the Democratic deep state to punish red states. There is unprecedented in history. There’s no way this was a real storm.
#Fake news! #Fakestorm # deepsttestorm
ENOUGH. I apologize for any politicizing I mistakenly did in the Kentucky disaster. Even though I applaud US efforts to rejoin the world, and deplore Rand Paul’s efforts towards libertinism in the nth degree, perhaps this was not the best place for it. PLEASE, enough with the snark and the jokes in really bad taste. These are just people, not a partisan problem.
Supposedly Kentucky’s governor established a fund to be managed by the State, he says the first outlays will be for grieving, as in funeral expenses, tragic but certainly a top priority. I think the fund can be found here: https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/kentucky-news/heres-where-you-can-donate-to-team-kentuckys-tornado-relief-fund/ While I still say using FEMA’s references is the way to go, but expect the Kentucky fund would be there as well. Here’s another link: https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief
Back to Rand….. because this ain’t political, this is reality. On the good side, Rand stepped right up for Kentucky. On the flip side, he has constantly stood against exactly what he is standing for now. It’s just that it was not Kentucky before….. Here’s my problem with bringing down Federal FEMA in favor of State’s rights. No way would Kentucky be prepared, by itself, for this tragedy. They would neither have the people, the process, nor the budget to handle a 100-year tornado. Nor would NJ ever have had the resources to recover from Sandy. Horrific natural disasters are just that: horrific and outside the scope of normal response. Especially by the State versus the Federal Government. When something like this happens, you want the best the nation can offer, not the best that your state can muster. You want a national focus, not just from your State Capitol. Rand is wrong and his own actions prove it. Now we will see if what’s smack dab in front of his eyes will change his freakin terrible response to other’s in similar or worse situations. I honestly don’t see that as political, I see it as plain ole common sense.
To all Kentucky contributors; thank you.
PS: the other day I was in a medical facility talking to a youngish-51-year old nurse who almost died from Covid and was back at work. We say The Greatest Generation is passing into memory; I say The Greatest Generation Part II is with us today with ANY first responder who voluntarily stands on the front line exposed to all the covid dangers in order to help others. No hazard pay, just a noble choice to serve others. When this is said and done, and Kentucky will be a prime example, our new Greatest Generation will stand out as the hero’s they are. In the beginning, I funded many an appreciation for my local Greats, but with the vaccine, the summer, of course, I stopped. Time to rekindle those efforts and offer a bit of monetary support for The Greatest Generation, either in disaster areas like Kentucky or just around the corner at a local surge point near you. God Bless our NGG (Next Greatest Generation) for joining our OGG (Original Greatest Generation!).
Frank, there’s nothing to apologize for. The same MF’in politicians that were whining about a blue state handouts for Hurricane Sandy, the PR hurricane and Harvey in Texas, now have their hands out wanting help. It’s the same with everything, anti gay until their kid comes out, anti abortion until their mistress or little girl gets pregnant. Compassion and empathy are in short supply until it happens to them.
To me, if you voted against helping your fellow American, then you shouldn’t have your hand out asking for help from your fellow American. If you are taking a principled stand, be principled about it. Me? I live by the Golden Rule, and Rule 303 ( if you have the means, you have the obligation), so I have no problem helping, but it chaps my ass these politicians are garbage and have no shame or ethics.
Quit lying about Rand Paul you vile commie asshole I’m damned tired of the lies and character assassination from you bastards
Chuckie, what is the lie?
I will gladly recant and apologize if you can show proof of a lie.
Otherwise I will view your post as another case of a CONservative behaving like a child,” I’m not listening, I’m not listening “.
Climate change doesn’t cause tornadoes. The science doesn’t prove that it does.
Hey! Come up with your own goddamned name. Don’t impersonate me!
Here’s the Kentucky relief fund started by the Gov. While I am not sure it’s on the FEMA list, I would gather it’s good enough and certainly closer to the ground than most.
https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief
Chuck, you are a very rude person; easy to do anonymously behind the keyboard but reveals much about your character. Good at being a hidden name-calling assassin. Nice.
To respond, Rand Paul is a “theoretical libertarian” at loss with reality in his principled-ruled world of his own mind. He has long felt that FEMA should be returned to the States to fulfill the Constitution’s goal of anti-federalism and put ownership as local as one can. Theoretically that’s an extension of the libertarian mantra of small federal government, strong state’s, but practically I think most Americans can see the folly of expecting 50 entities to come up with solutions for 100-year problems. Even States like Louisiana or Texas, familiar with hurricanes, probably couldn’t muster the plans, process, and people to overcome a major hurricane hit. Especially as of late.
He is on record with this, anyone can look it up; there’s even video.
As far as what others have said re: Rand’s decisions over the years to stifle aid to disaster stricken states, yeah, he’s probably the one Senator with the most nay votes on these for a variety of reasons from budget busting, to procedural issues, to whatever floats Rand’s boat to vote no. Mostly ineffective since no one is this stupid, Rand knows this too, that he won’t get caught because everyone else votes yes, he looks good as holding the line and taking a stand for smaller government, smaller budgets, and it’s safer for him than mowing his own lawn :>( Again, there are boatloads of sources for this over the years, here’s one, but wait —- there’s hundreds more….. Rand has made a career of this. https://www.salon.com/2021/12/13/rand-paul-ripped-for-hypocrisy-on-natural-disaster-aid-after-requesting-funds-for-kentucky/
I am all for ending governmental waste. I love State’s rights, smaller governments everywhere, even liberals would rather pay less tax – we just love fair taxing even better. But IMO, when you look at what FEMA does, stands ready to support any disaster on a moment’s notice anywhere in our country, IMO, I just can’t see where 50 models of that would ever work well. IMO, like the military, this calls for one centralized team of national experts supported by the biggest and bestest equipment, logistics, and even further national resources if needed. Most important, a national experience at meeting challenges like these, over and over, again and again. I can’t see Kentucky ever being able to do that, as good and as neighborly as they might be.
Rand is just plain ole wrong on this in reality. Even if in his mind and in the libertarian mantra he comes up smelling like daisies.
In any case, Chuck is still very rude.