Micah's June Blog

2011-06-06

On May 22, 500 students graduated from Joplin High School in Joplin, MO. Just a few hours later, most of their town was destroyed by the deadliest tornado in U.S. History. When those students walked across the stage and received their diplomas, having their lives completely altered because of a storm was the last thing on their mind. This is how all of us are – we never expect anything to happen to us. Nobody in Joplin thought a tornado would rip through the town and leave over 140 people dead, but it happened.

I live two and a half hours north of Joplin and have family that resides in the now tornado-ravaged city. Fortunately, every member of my family in Joplin made it through the storm OK, and their houses only incurred minor damage compared to much of the other devastation. I went to Joplin exactly a week after the tornado struck to visit my family and drop of supplies needed for relief efforts. I have been in Joplin many times before the infamous tornado hit and was relatively familiar with the city. When I saw the city after the storm, my jaw literally dropped. I couldn’t at all recognize many parts of the city. The best parallel I can give is that the city looked like it had been hit with a
nuclear bomb. As we drove around, the devastation just kept going. I’m still having trouble comprehending what I witnessed; the scenes were surreal. Seeing the devastation on TV or online simply doesn’t give the full effect. You truly don’t understand the level of destruction until you witness it in person.

My uncle served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years and spent many years in war zones. He said he has never seen anything that even compared to the devastation in Joplin. We spoke with relief workers who had been in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. They said the damage Hurricane Katrina left doesn’t even hold a candle to the devastation in Joplin. According to them, Joplin is much, much worse than New Orleans ever was. This, without a doubt, tells the story of how powerful this EF5 tornado was.

Seeing the devastation in Joplin has reminded me to never take anything for granted. The 500 students in the Joplin High School graduating class of 2011 have surely learned this lesson, and they would certainly tell all of us that a tragedy can strike when it is least expected. For this reason, we should live each day to the fullest. We never know what tomorrow will bring.

If you would like to know how to help those in Joplin, please email me at decavpmicah@gmail.com.

DECA Wishes,
Micah Melling
Central Region Vice President 2011-2012