Sorry about that Drew, I didn't mean to come off like that either. I've got some friends that got hit in Greensburg and we're all a little on edge about what happened last week. But like DBLR and Mayfair said, you have to respect and be amazed at the people of Greensburg for their outlook on what happened and what they are trying to do to rebuild their community. It says a lot about who we all are and can give a pespective we can tend to forget when all we see on the news each night is nothing but doom and gloomaround the world.

 

That is EXACTLY why I pretty much stopped watching the news. It's been that way for a while, and now they even try to evoke fear into you when they report the weather " Winter Storm Warning " Terrenchal Rains Comming" ect. ect ect ....

I gave up on watching the news a while ago. Give it a try ... you'll wind up a happier person without all of that "gloom and doom" hanging around.

 

I wasn't trying to start anything here, especially derogatory towards the people put up against the wall by natural disasters. I was born and raised here in Oregon, we don't have those things here. The worst it gets here is small earthquakes. I am sure someday one of our mountains will blow up, but for now it is a pretty safe place to live. (Especially if you stay away from the Wet Side).

However, I did spend two and a half years as a Riley Rat there in KS. We saw a couple of funnel clouds from a distance, one was fairly close. I just put that link up there because it shows the raw force of that Tornado.

It is like someone said, if the people there lacked decency and genuine care for their neighbors it would have been all over the news. The story, at least locally, has quickly faded out of conversations. Being in an Ag based community, I thought the damage to that farm equipment was unreal. At upwards of $250,000 a piece for those combines. That is a massive loss of $$.

Anyhow, I hope I didn't start something bad here. Just thought I would share some interesting photos.

I do have one question for Mayfair though, if we all stopped watching the news we could all find strange pictures on the internet!

 

No fault in my opinion chukar on anyone's part. How long has it been since you were in Riley? Because, man have things changed in the past couple years around here.

 

Thats the one of the biggest combines John Deere makes BTW

 

About the only thing that was left standing was the grain elevator and its pretty damn messed up too.

 

That's why I live in western wa. I don't feel comfortable living in a n area call tornado alley. Of course the ring of fire doesn't sound too friendly either.

 

Hey Folks,
Saw some comments regarding Katrina and New Orleans and thought I might have more to add.
I live across lake Pontchatrain from New Orleans. We evacuated uo some friend's home in Vicksburg and returned home the day after the storm. No flooding at my home but alot of pine trees down on the house from small tornados. Out of power for 6 days, running what I could on a generator. Over the weeks that followed I had spoken to so many people and each had a story to tell. Too many to remember, some I'd like to forget. Guess a point I'd like to make is that the affected area was so broad that the recovery literally took forever. The area is still wounded. Also, I quickly learned just how fragile the system really was. For a total breakdown of civil and government services. Those that stayed behind to guard their possesions were own their own. So thats when the idiot mayor( you know , the chocolate city jerk ) decided to tell the police chief to confiscate weapons from the citizens. Thank God for the NRA to take them to court to reverse it and return the weapons! The criminals stayed behind also, they knew what they were doing. As soon as the power went out, the looting began. The city became a third world country. That thursday after the storm, I was at work on the river and remember looking over the ware houses on the riverfront at dawn. The city was still out of power, no lights on anywhere. I must have seen at least a dozen billows of somke floating up into the air, along with just as many military helocopters flying rescue missions. Damn if I didn't think of somewhere like Somolia.
Well, suppose I rambled enough........later.

 

Oh come on Jake, with those bullhorns you'd fit right in the midwestTornados just keep the riff-raff out

 

Too flat out there and no trees. Plus I like being an hour away from the ocean.