Wed, Oct 15 2008
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Published May 11, 2008 04:20 pm - Just five years and six days after tornadoes ripped through Southeast Kansas and Southwest Missouri, killing 24, it’s deja vu all over again. In Our View: Devastating parallels “We were so overwhelmed and traumatized. There were adults walking around in a daze, crying, with tears running down their cheeks.” — Ruth Noblett, reflecting recently on the May 4, 2003, tornado that ripped through Stockton.
“It’s tragic. It’s terrible” — Ottawa County Sheriff Terry Durburow surveying the damage Saturday night after a tornado damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes in Picher, Okla. Just five years and six days after tornadoes ripped through Southeast Kansas and Southwest Missouri, killing 24, it’s deja vu all over again. Saturday afternoon’s strong storms that carved a deadly path through Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri and spawned tornadoes, straight-line winds and hail the size of baseballs reminds us of the fragile nature of human life. Picher, a community already faced with the decades-old problem of lead contamination, now has a more immediate challenge to overcome. Search-and-rescue efforts began Saturday night as rescuers began searching for anyone who was trapped among the debris. The storm also leveled many homes and was responsible for a number of deaths in Newton County, as the tornado continued along its path, striking northeast of Seneca, then hitting Granby and Newtonia before finally dissipating. Now, as in 2003, is a time to open our hearts — if not our wallets — to those who have lost their homes, their possessions and quite possibly all hope. And it’s a time to simply step aside when needed to let emergency responders do their jobs. While the devastating parallels between the storms of 2003 and this past weekend are all too apparent, there will also be similar stories of survival and compassion — of neighbors helping neighbors, of strangers lending a hand to those around them in need. And over the next five years, we will also see similar events play out as despair turns to resolve as those most affected lick their wounds, mourn their losses and find the strength to carry on. The strength to rebuild. And the strength to find silver linings among the darkest of clouds. 
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