Tornadoes in the South are tragic reminders

Tornadoes in the South
are tragic reminders

Once again, images from somewhere else in the American heartland brought home the power that a tornado has to uproot, destroy and kill.

The Associated Press reported that 57 people were killed in last Tuesday’s storms that swept through Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky and Alabama, making it the deadliest U.S. tornado disaster in nearly a quarter of a century. The deadliest, as the Mahoning Valley knows too well, since May 31, 1985. That was the day 27 tornadoes swept through Ohio and Pennsylvania, killing 75 people. Another 12 died as the storm front moved through Ontario, Canada.

The most powerful of those 27 tornadoes, an F5 with winds of 300 mph, cut a deadly swath from Newton Falls into western Pennsylvania.

And so, for many people in the Valley, Tuesday’s southern storms hit close to our emotional home. For too many, such storms bring back memories of loved ones lost that are almost too much to bear.

Things to remember

At times such as these, we can take two lessons away from the pain that we see others suffering.

One is to remind ourselves to be prepared. That applies both to government entities responsible for maintaining warning equipment and training response teams and to individual families. Have a family plan in place so that everyone knows the safest place in the house to be when a storm hits. And have food, water, flashlights and a portable radio at hand for use during and after severe weather.

Second, and just as important, is to support those charities, such as the Red Cross, that responded when tragedy struck here and are responding now in Tennessee and its neighboring states. They can be counted on to respond in the future, whenever and wherever needed, only if they continue to receive public support.