Mid-Westerners please check in...

[BG and Gavin]

Everyone okay after the storm?  Wondering about our Illinois friends (Karen?).  Stormy and windy here with winds reaching 100km but no tornados and so far no big damage here(touch wood) but keeping a close eye as the winds howl around the house.

[Leslie and Halas]

I called our vet, who opened last night to treat and board animals.  They took my name and number, and they'll be organizing help for people who need it.  I also said I can foster.  Even if these animals are reunited, they might still need a place to stay for a little while if their home has been destroyed.

What I'm hearing today is that everything happened so fast.  They had been warning about the potential of a really bad storm for a few days.  But when it actually happened, the sirens seemed a little delayed.  My coworkers parents have a basement, but when the sirens went off, they looked out the window, and could see the tornado.  They didn't have time to even get to the basement.  They heard their door open and close, and figured it was the wind.  But it turned out to be a guy that had been driving down their street, and had to get out of his truck, because it was being lifted off of the ground.  Their door was unlocked, so he got lucky, and hid under their table.  He stayed for 4 hours after, helping them clean up.  Total stranger.  Their house has major damage, but is still standing.  It seems like it bounced over their house, because houses on either side of them are leveled.

I hope my FB friends don't get tired of all of the sharing of dog and cat photos I'll be doing in the future.  An apartment building was destroyed in Washington, and it looks like there were lots of cats and small dogs living there.  It is supposed to get cold this week, so I hope they can be found and taken to safety.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is just awful. I feel so helpless; please let us know if there are ways we can help from a distance. 

[Leslie and Halas]

If I get some lists, I'll post them.  I've left my name and number with my vet and with TAPS, to volunteer to foster or donate.  I also volunteered to search, but I'm sure they want people who are experienced with such things.  It also sounds like the various shelters, rescues, vets, and FB groups are trying to coordinate, so that they can centralize donations and efforts.  TAPS is normally closed on Monday, but I called anyway, and they were there.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Great job, Leslie.
I'm hoping if and when this happens to me someone like you is there

[Leslie and Halas]

There have been several stories of pets being reunited so far.  Or at least the owners know where the pets are.  People in Washington aren't even being allowed back into town yet.  So their dog may be safe at the vet, but they can't get to it.  But at least they know it's safe.  That's the most important thing.

I'm finally seeing a little direction on donations.  I'm going to buy a bunch of clean-up supplies and pet supplies after work, and drop them off at a donation spot right by my house.  If they only take the clean up supplies, I'll take the pet supplies to one of the local vets that has specifically said they'll take items and distribute them as needed.

[Robin and Libby Louise]

It's hard to know where to start with help in the face of so much damage.  I know I felt helpless after Hurricane Sandy last year.  Where I live you couldn't even tell that it rained, much less anything else, so I felt guilty, too.  I bought and donated as much as I could although it still felt like nothing in the face of so many losing everything!  But believe me, every little bit will be appreciated!

[Leslie and Halas]

Lots of people want to help with clean up and pet rescue, but there's training that goes along with a lot of the disaster recovery activities.  They can't just send hundreds of volunteers into a neighborhood.  It's still dangerous, and people without the proper training could just add to the trouble.  At least I know some of the dogs and cats will be getting high-quality food. :)

[BG and Gavin]

How very generous of you Leslie.

[Leslie and Halas]

Here are some pics from Pekin.

http://www.pjstar.com/photogallery/IP/20131117/PHOTOGALLERY/1117099...

And some from Washington.

http://www.pjstar.com/photogallery/IP/20131118/PHOTOGALLERY/1118099...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

OMG, OMG, OMG!

[Robin and Libby Louise]

Very very scary.  And sad.

[BG and Gavin]

The first one of the people embracing in front of what is left of their home is heart breaking.  With this amount of destruction it is a miracle that there was not a greater loss of life.