Tornado Terror

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “After Storms Kill Hundreds, South Tries to Regroup,” describes a devastating series of tornadoes that hit the region, killing hundreds of people. Entire neighborhoods were obliterated, and relief is just now starting to pour into the region. Alabama was the worst hit, but a whole series of states suffered widespread destruction.

This whole season has featured many strong tornados, but Wednesday night’s events surpassed them all and are being described as Katrina-esque. Personally, I can’t help but wonder about the role of global warming in these weather changes.

The National Guard has been called out in Alabama, and the President will be touring the region. I expect FEMA to play a major role in helping the region to recover as well.

I guess this natural disaster helps us to bond together as a nation at a time when so many other things are polarizing us and driving us apart. As fellow humans, we still remain humbled by the weather, one of the few forces we are unable to control. The proverbial Act of God can come and undo a lifetime of savings, building a home and filling it with materials, when it is really only our lives themselves that are the most precious.