Monday, February 11, 2013

Hattiesburg Tornado: February 2013

Yesterday, a tornado struck my hometown of Hattiesburg, MS.  When I heard of it, I called my parents.  They had huddled in the bathroom under the stairs--our go-to storm hideout.  They were fine, my house had no damage, and they never lost power.  I was glad to hear that and thought maybe most of the rest of Hattiesburg had fared the same.  I was wrong.

My old high school suffered a lot of damage.  The University of Southern Mississippi, specifically all of the music buildings where I used to work, was hit.  Churches were crumbling.  Houses were obliterated.  The videos and photos I've seen have been heartbreaking.  It's so hard to not be there, but I'm SO very glad that all of my friends are safe.  

I don't think it's been decided yet, but I'm hearing that the National Weather Service is saying the tornado will be classified as either an EF3 or an EF4.  My heart is hurting for my hometown right now, but I'm so proud of how everyone is uniting as a community.  If you get a chance, please keep the people of USM, Hattiesburg, and the surrounding area in your thoughts as they recover, regroup, and rebuild. 

Thank you.

P.S. Eno the kitty is doing well! Here's hoping for a smooth recovery.

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