The Recent Storms in the South

Few things put the world into perspective more than a natural disaster, more so when the natural disaster hits close to home.  On Wednesday you likely saw news reports of the storms and tornados that hit the southeastern United States, but to me they were a bit more than a news report.  I spent Wednesday night like many of my fellow residents of this part of the country watching the weather on TV and keeping an eye on the sky hoping to avoid the worst.  I saw rain blowing sideways from the wind and hail in my yard the size of a closed fist.  That was actually small hail compared to what fell around here.  I was fortunate as I had no worse damage than broken tree limbs, a damaged gutter, and a destroyed bird feeder.

Not all were as fortunate.  I know several who suffered damaged cars and homes.  A tornado hit my hometown and damaged the high school I graduated from and destroyed an adult high school across the street.  Just to my northeast six people were killed by a different tornado.  If you shot with me in my outdoor nude work in the last year, we likely drove through that area on the way to our shooting location.

Seeing a disaster on TV is one thing.  Hearing from people you know or work with who suffered damage and in one case lost family is another.  Seeing places that you have walked and driven through now damaged or destroyed is too.  Still we were fortunate compared to other places like Alabama that suffered much worse damage and more widespread loss of life.  If you can help them and others effected by this storm, please do so.