Mena Tornado ~ Pt. 1, Pt 2, & Pt 3

Pt. 1 ~ This is the tornado that roared through our town on the night of Thursday, April 9, 2009. The tornado itself left a path of destruction 1/2 mile and 15 miles long. Wind damage extended another 1/2 mile on either side of the path. The latest count has 200 homes/buildings totally destroyed and another 800 homes/buildings receiving minor to moderate damage.

Pt. 2 ~ The outpouring of assistance from within the state of Arkansas along with numerous neighboring states has been incredible. The generosity and kindness of strangers and neighbors alike goes beyond words. My husband, a Masonic Officer, was helping unload supplies which had been collected by the Shriners in Little Rock, when a man drove up and ask if 'this was the location to donate clothes'. My husband said yes, that he would see that the clothes made it to the donation area. The stranger then went on to explain how he and his family had lost their house in the tornado, had salvaged what they could and wanted to donate as much as possible to others who had not been so lucky. The stranger left two large garbage sacks full of clothes for other victims.

Pt. 3 ~ A week has now gone by. Life is beginning to get back to normal (whatever that is...) for most. For too many though, the normalities of every day life are still far away. Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers. And I would like to say THANK YOU to all the wonderful volunteers who have helped Mena in their time of need.

Special Note - Too often when a tragedy occurs, people don't know what to say to those affected. A few simple words are all it takes to brighten someone's day - Something as simple as, 'I'm thinking about you.' can mean the world to someone.