Destruction in my Hometown

My hometown of Iowa City, Iowa was hit by two F2 tornadoes on Thursday night. I wasn't planning to head home for the Easter holiday - and when I'd called my mom to mkae sure they were okay, she said "You know, you were surely invited to come home if you wanted." I may have done so, and been in IC on Thursday night, if I wasn't already traveling elsewheres. It was hard not to get a bit emotional when I was trying to get the most current updates via the Internet into the morning hours on Friday. The images are pretty intense, of overturned cars, buildings without roofs, places I've visited many times over my years are no longer existing. But, the picture I've just painted in your minds may be quite bleak, and actually Iowa City and its residents were tremendously lucky. There were only minor injuries reported, and one death south of the city due to another tornado. My heart goes out to the family and relatives of that woman. Most of the people that I know didn't suffer any damage or injuries at all, though a former boss did have her car crushed and roof blown off, and friends of other people I know had damage to their cars as well. It makes me wish I was back in Iowa City this week though, so that I could help with the clean-up efforts and pitch in where people need help, either by volunteering with the Red Cross for the relief efforts or something else. I'll be back there in a few weeks though - and then I can do just that.