Southern storms

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – I should mention that many of the folks here in northern Georgia and southern Tennessee have been hard-hit by the tornados that came through here a few weeks ago. There are people in my hotel who have lost everything to the storms. This was a disaster on American soil and I hope we don’t forget the people impacted.

I met a woman here at the hotel who said she could pull up Minnie balls (a common type of ammunition used during the Civil War) while gardening in her front yard. I checked myself from volunteering to do some gardening for her (I’d love to find a Minnie ball) because she no longer has a garden, a house or anything else.

I have not seen storm damage, except some downed trees at the Chickamauga National Military Park. My travels have not taken me to areas where damage was done and I will not drive through those areas just to see someone’s heartache.

Our relatives in Alabama got through the storms okay. Some were without power for several days. But others in Alabama were not so lucky.

On top of the storms, now we have the annual Mississippi River flooding. It has been especially bad this season up north is expected to be bad here, too.

One thing they believe in here is the power of prayer. If you pray, I hope you’ll remember those hit hard by these recent natural events.

Thanks for reading.