Friday

The death toll in the south has now reached 312 and it still might rise. One million people are without power. Many of those people do not have food reserves or generators, making outside help a literal lifesaver.

Countless homes are destroyed -- completely and utterly obliterated. Several people have described the damage done in Phil Campbell likening it to a bomb going off. Buildings that have stood for over a century are gone now. And it's strange to think how many storms they made it through and why this one should be different.

But it was.

The Tennessee Valley may be called Tornado Alley because of the large amounts of tornadoes we get. But, the thing is, those tornadoes usually cause relatively minor damage. Most of the tornadoes we have seem to be F1 or F2. But the tornadoes of Wednesday were F4 and F5. This is so rare here. As my mother says, "We just don't have those mile-wide ones here."

It's hard to listen as the death toll rises. A lot of these people are dying from injuries sustained during the storm. But there are other problems. People are hungry and likely thirsty. So many are without power; some people are using generators improperly and getting carbon monoxide poisoning. The news anchors try to stress safety tips, like not putting your generator in your garage, but the people without power can't even see the TV -- what good does it do them?

Imagine being without power in Alabama. Alabama is humid by nature and the spring can get very hot. Without air conditioners, people will be in danger of heatstroke. It goes hot in a house without A/C.

Huntsville is also a huge medical hub for this part of the Valley. I myself have weekly appointments there and it's nerve-wracking to think what might happen to the people who aren't going to get the medical treatment they need.

Put short, Alabama needs so much help. If you have money to give, do the wise thing and donate to a verified charity that is committed to helping affected areas. If you don't have money, donate your time. You can do that by physically helping storm victims, raising awareness, or reading my blog.

How will reading my blog help, you ask? It's quite simple. I've monetized it. If I earn revenue from this blog, I will donate those proceeds to the Red Cross and other worthy organizations that help affected peoples. You can help by literally reading. Isn't that worth the time?