I had taken my camera, preparing to take lots of pictures and post them so others could see them and get an idea of what it really looked like.
As we turned into what was left of the town, I quickly realized it couldn't be done. A single pictures or even a series of pictures can't begin to paint the image of the destruction. Imagine standing in one spot, turning all the way around, and seeing nothing but huge amounts of debris, trees with no limbs, and basements. Unbelievable.
The main story I saw though wasn't necessarily the destruction, but more importantly, the people. Volunteers from all over, I mean ALL over were there helping with whatever they could. Church groups, Contractors, some big companies from out of state, National Guard, State Troopers, rival sports teams, groups from the south part of the U.S., little kids, elderly. I could not believe the amount of people. I couldn't believe how much had already been done.
In the midst of the devastation, there was a sense of happiness and appreciation from everyone, locals and out of towners. Everyone had stories. Everyone had the same goal of lending a helping hand and a smile knowing so many people were being blessed by what was being done.
The group I was with was to help out at the school tearing apart bleachers that had been all twisted up and bent, sorting aluminum from steel and cleaning up surrounding debris. Most of us didn't know each other. Some were locals, most of us weren't. Some knew exactly what to do, some not some much. Some smelled kinda bad. But it didn't matter, we all just pitched in and got it done. We worked hard in the heat and at the end of the day, we knew we had made a difference.
I'm glad I made the trip up. I'm glad I got to see it with my own eyes and get a first-hand understanding of how bad it really is. Below are a few pictures. Unfortunately, they don't do justice to what it really looks like. If you click on them, it would definitely show more.
What's left of my cousin's house, theirs fared well.....in comparison.
Some of the guys in my group. What is left of the school is in the background.
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