It’s 5:00am, and I just arrived in Lancaster, PA, where one of my employees lives. I’m not sure why I’m sitting down to right this blog but I just feel like there is such a need for the type of help I gave Greensburg. I’m not sure if my idea of responding to disasters to open up roads is good enough.
There was such chaos and confusion after the storm. No one could get around; no one could talk to each other because cell phones were down. There was no power, no way to pump water and not even the right equipment to perform rescue operations because the firehouse was destroyed. I think if I’m going to respond to more disasters I need to add some other equipment to the fleet.
Not only do we need the grapple truck and skid steers to open up roads, we also need a generator large enough to power up hospital emergency rooms and nursing homes. When the power lines, phone lines and cell phone towers are down, we need to be able to provide satellite phones and laptops to local officials in order to communicate their needs to the outside world.
I think GMRS/GPS radios would allow us and the local responders to talk with each other to help with a more organized disaster response. I think a dirt bike would serve us well in scouting out the disasters. In fact, a dirt bike equipped with GPS and Sat phones could travel over logs and other debris looking for those who need medical attention in the wake of the storm. I think a dirt bike would be good in flooding situations as well, monitoring levees and alerting communities of potential flash flooding. A water pump and rescue boat would be good to have on hand. From what I see, these fire departments don’t have the budgets to have specialized equipment like this on hand.
It’s hard to rest after seeing what I have. I didn’t want to leave Greensburg but I think it was good I did. It’s going to take some thought into putting together this first response team, but I think I should take some of these ideas and do something about them. The need is there, and I think I can help.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
May 24, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado
Can you imagine what it would be like to be Mennonite? They have no conventional insurance. Their houses, barns, farms, equipment and cars are insured by each other. When they get sick, they care for each other. When they get old, they care for each other. So, if you were a Mennonite who lived in Greensburg, what would your new life be like after the storm?
Well I’ll give you just one example. One farmer of lost everything he owned – his home, his barns, $700,000 worth of farm equipment and his trucks. What happened next is still hard for me to believe. His fellow Mennonites came. They came with tractors, they came with trucks. They came with food and found housing for him and his family. They took down his old house and are presently making preparations for the new one.
How do I know this? I had an opportunity to work side by side with these men. It would take too long to write about everything I have seen, but I can tell you this: They came into that city from hundreds of miles away with whatever equipment they had on their farm to help anyone in need. They were organized, writing up work order after work order, supplying their own food, fuel and shelter. Why? Because that is what they call community.
I am planning on leaving soon. It is a hard decision to make – partially because I have grown to love the people here, but also because I’ve enjoyed being with the Mennonites.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
May 23, 2007 - Greensburg, KS tornado
Today I received a phone call that encouraged me beyond words. It was from a group of men whom I respect as expert truck builders. One reason I know they’re good is because they have enough patience to deal with all my phone calls when I have technical questions about my crane, day or night.
Nevertheless, Disaster Recovery Solutions’ First Response Team’s strongest asset is their state of the art equipment. It takes a large team of experts to put together these trucks as well as a facility that would make the GM plant look like a hot dog stand.
The men involved are Rodney, Bob, Dean, Daryl, Bill and Mike from V&H Trucks. All of these men play a key role in developing equipment and keeping them running. What touched me so greatly is these men called me and expressed interest in supporting the First Response Team. Unfortunately, neither they nor I know in what capacity they can help. This is my first trip responding to a disaster. Daryl has offered to fly in and help for a few days and has even gone so far as to collect money for our fuel. But what was so touching is that they simply wanted to help.
Thank you, V&H. Thank you for the trucks you have built for me already, and thanks for expressing an interest in being involved.
Thank you Rodney for taking care of the details. Thank you Bob for helping me spec out new equipment and keep them going. Thank you Dean for finding me the best financing. And thank you Daryl, Bill, and Mike for keeping the cranes going.
Nevertheless, Disaster Recovery Solutions’ First Response Team’s strongest asset is their state of the art equipment. It takes a large team of experts to put together these trucks as well as a facility that would make the GM plant look like a hot dog stand.
The men involved are Rodney, Bob, Dean, Daryl, Bill and Mike from V&H Trucks. All of these men play a key role in developing equipment and keeping them running. What touched me so greatly is these men called me and expressed interest in supporting the First Response Team. Unfortunately, neither they nor I know in what capacity they can help. This is my first trip responding to a disaster. Daryl has offered to fly in and help for a few days and has even gone so far as to collect money for our fuel. But what was so touching is that they simply wanted to help.
Thank you, V&H. Thank you for the trucks you have built for me already, and thanks for expressing an interest in being involved.
Thank you Rodney for taking care of the details. Thank you Bob for helping me spec out new equipment and keep them going. Thank you Dean for finding me the best financing. And thank you Daryl, Bill, and Mike for keeping the cranes going.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
May 22, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado
If you were given a choice to take one thing before you left your house for the last time, what would it be? It could be a difficult question for some but for others it would be easy. For me, I would have to say pictures.
Today as I was ripping houses apart wall by wall with the Prentice loader and tossing them to the streets as if throwing a baseball, I saw many things. Kitchens with once-new appliances, offices with nice desks, and closets full of clothes. At one point, I ripped a whole floor up with one grab, and there below lay a beautiful train set in perfect condition. Most people stood and watched as if they knew it was coming, just like putting the trash to the curb as they do every Wednesday.
But…………there below deep in a basement I could see from 20 feet above……….a picture album. With precision I reached down with the crane, barely grabbed the edges of the album, and lifted it out of the basement. As I placed it on the driveway, the homeowner ran over, grabbed the album and held it close to his chest as if he had found his lost puppy. I sat on the crane in amazement as I looked down on him.
A few hours later, I parked the crane for the night, and at the end of the block I could see an elderly man and woman rummaging through what was left of their house. I introduced myself and let them know I was the one who removed their house and hauled it to the road. As they thanked me, I saw out of the corner of my eye another photo album in a 12-foot hole where the foundation of the house once stood.
What happened next amazed me. Without hesitation, this very old man quickly made his way down the vertical dirt wall, sliding, falling into this deep hole. Within seconds he was standing over the photos, calling up to his wife and telling her of his newfound treasure.
I have no words except to say I don’t understand what these people are going through. I can honestly say to you, I don’t understand. I’ve tried but the fact is I have lost nothing. What are they thinking, how do they feel, and what do they do next?
I keep thinking I’m going to leave because the expenses are too much for me to handle, and the wear and tear on my equipment is too great but I can’t go just yet. There are still more people to help, and I can help with my equipment. If this were my home or my community, I would want help.
Today as I was ripping houses apart wall by wall with the Prentice loader and tossing them to the streets as if throwing a baseball, I saw many things. Kitchens with once-new appliances, offices with nice desks, and closets full of clothes. At one point, I ripped a whole floor up with one grab, and there below lay a beautiful train set in perfect condition. Most people stood and watched as if they knew it was coming, just like putting the trash to the curb as they do every Wednesday.
But…………there below deep in a basement I could see from 20 feet above……….a picture album. With precision I reached down with the crane, barely grabbed the edges of the album, and lifted it out of the basement. As I placed it on the driveway, the homeowner ran over, grabbed the album and held it close to his chest as if he had found his lost puppy. I sat on the crane in amazement as I looked down on him.
A few hours later, I parked the crane for the night, and at the end of the block I could see an elderly man and woman rummaging through what was left of their house. I introduced myself and let them know I was the one who removed their house and hauled it to the road. As they thanked me, I saw out of the corner of my eye another photo album in a 12-foot hole where the foundation of the house once stood.
What happened next amazed me. Without hesitation, this very old man quickly made his way down the vertical dirt wall, sliding, falling into this deep hole. Within seconds he was standing over the photos, calling up to his wife and telling her of his newfound treasure.
I have no words except to say I don’t understand what these people are going through. I can honestly say to you, I don’t understand. I’ve tried but the fact is I have lost nothing. What are they thinking, how do they feel, and what do they do next?
I keep thinking I’m going to leave because the expenses are too much for me to handle, and the wear and tear on my equipment is too great but I can’t go just yet. There are still more people to help, and I can help with my equipment. If this were my home or my community, I would want help.
Today was my birthday.
Monday, May 21, 2007
May 21, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado
Today started out feeling like a regular day for some reason. I was helping someone who had no insurance clean up their property. As I was finishing, I noticed there were dozens of orange state and county trucks lined up on the sides of the roads. Apparently there was only one front-end loader available to load the trucks with debris. I asked who was in charge of all the trucks, and a man in a pickup truck explained he was the supervisor. I asked if I could help load the trucks, and he said yes.So I looked for the biggest piles of debris I could find and began to load one truck up after another. It was going so fast that trucks from all over the city started to come to get loaded so they could haul debris out of town to the dumps. One after another, it was only taking me about two minutes to load each truck. Because the crane sits so much higher than a front-end loader, I could see over the truck beds and really pack it in.
At one point there were so many trucks lined up behind me that I did not want to take the time to move forward to the next pile so I started pulling debris out of what was in my truck box. I loaded 10 trucks with what was in half of my truck. It was amazing to me how much larger my truck was than those traditional trucks.
The day ended unexpectedly with something I think I will remember for the rest of my life. A group of citizens and volunteers went out to dinner at a restaurant 40 miles outside of town. Throughout the dinner everyone was talking and laughing, and I could not help but sit back and watch people who have lost so much laugh…and laugh really hard. I’m still amazed that in the midst of all this loss people can still be thankful.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
May 20, 2007- Greensburg, KS Tornado
A church with only six members was destroyed. Where the beautiful historic building once stood is now a large hole where a foundation once was next to a newly erected large blue tent. The view from the tent is destruction as far as the eye can see, along with what’s left of an antique organ wedged in a tree.
It’s Sunday morning, and I could not help but come to be a part of Greensburg’s first church service. As I sat down to this meaningful event, I could not help but notice that people were coming from all over to participate in this service. Even the members of the National Guard showed up. The makeshift pews made up of plastic chairs were filling up quickly. Then who takes center stage but Wes Carlton…but this time, instead of overalls he wore a suit and in place of the America flag baseball cap he wore a cowboy hat. He also had a guitar.
I’m not sure what was going through this man’s mind but I do know this: he could care less that his church was demolished and piled up in some farmer’s field on the edge of town. What Wes Carlton cared about was that the people of his community came to church. His smile was contagious, and his love for those people was evident.
A husband and wife got up to sing a song together. She had bruises all over her face but didn’t seem to mind to stand in front of everyone to sing. Have you ever heard the hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul“? Have you ever heard it sung by an 80-year-old man who just a week before stood holding his wife in a closet while his house was ripped apart wall by wall?
Pastor Wes pulled a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket. On it was the sermon notes and tears rolled down his face as he read his thoughts and shared his Bible verses. But they were tears of joy and thankfulness. As I saw this man preaching among the destruction and debris surrounding this little tent, I realized something. Life is precious. Nothing mattered at that point but people.
Can you explain a sunset so that people understand what you saw? Or can you explain the joy of when your first baby was born? Can I explain what I saw in these people today as they sang “It Is Well With My Soul” while standing in piles of debris as far as the eye can see? I cannot but I can say everyday is a gift.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
May 15, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado
I wrote earlier in the week about a man I met when I first arrived in Greensburg. His name is Ken Graham, lead project manager for a company called Philips and Jordan. Ken came here to find work for his company. When I first met Ken, he was a bit surprised that I came here with this expensive equipment to help out for free. But I think as we have had a chance to room together for a few nights, he has seen what I have done for this community, and he realizes that I’m really here to help.
Today, instead of Ken doing his daily routine of meeting with local officials such as the mayor, public works director, the county commissioner or the city administrator, Ken walked around the city block-by-block looking for people who needed help. I asked him over breakfast this morning if he could help me find people who needed help.
And sure enough he found somebody! Ken came up to me around noon and asked me to come meet the pastor of the Greensburg Baptist Church. He explained they had no money or insurance but they wanted to clean up the lot to erect a tent in anticipation for the first church service since the tornado struck.
Ken and I walked about 5 blocks to where the church used to be. I met a man who introduced himself as Wes Carlton. He was an older man wearing overalls, a baseball cap with an American flag and carrying a cane. You could tell the church was huge and the pile of rubble was enormous. There were bibles and hymnals thrown everywhere. It was obvious this was the largest church in Greensburg, and it would mean a lot to the community to have a place to pray sooner rather than later.
The job needed to be done so I decided to start immediately. This was by far one of the largest buildings I had ever demoed but one scoop at a time I began to dig away at the debris. It was amazing to see how fast the crane was working. Everything was flying through air – church pews, children’s puppets, a library, an alter and finally a picture of Jesus.
At the same time I was working, I could not help but notice out of the corner of my eye was Ken Graham, this stranger I met just a few days earlier, lead guy for one of the largest disaster recovery companies in the country, wearing a hard hat, safety vest and digging through the rubble with shovel in hand.
Moments later he pulled a sign from a pile that said “Greensburg Baptist Church”. Ken held it over his head for a brief moment for me to see, then walked it over to Pastor Carlson and proudly handed him the sign for his church. I think in some small way today represents that Greensburg Baptist Church is not gone – only the building is gone. The church is still alive and well. I don’t know why working with Ken today left such an impression on me. I think it may have been the fact that instead of Ken meeting with the governor of Kansas to talk about a business deal, he chose to help this small-town church get back on its feet again. Later that day, Ken put on some gloves and worked with five kids to erect a large tent in preparation for the Sunday service.
Today, instead of Ken doing his daily routine of meeting with local officials such as the mayor, public works director, the county commissioner or the city administrator, Ken walked around the city block-by-block looking for people who needed help. I asked him over breakfast this morning if he could help me find people who needed help.
And sure enough he found somebody! Ken came up to me around noon and asked me to come meet the pastor of the Greensburg Baptist Church. He explained they had no money or insurance but they wanted to clean up the lot to erect a tent in anticipation for the first church service since the tornado struck.
Ken and I walked about 5 blocks to where the church used to be. I met a man who introduced himself as Wes Carlton. He was an older man wearing overalls, a baseball cap with an American flag and carrying a cane. You could tell the church was huge and the pile of rubble was enormous. There were bibles and hymnals thrown everywhere. It was obvious this was the largest church in Greensburg, and it would mean a lot to the community to have a place to pray sooner rather than later.
The job needed to be done so I decided to start immediately. This was by far one of the largest buildings I had ever demoed but one scoop at a time I began to dig away at the debris. It was amazing to see how fast the crane was working. Everything was flying through air – church pews, children’s puppets, a library, an alter and finally a picture of Jesus.
At the same time I was working, I could not help but notice out of the corner of my eye was Ken Graham, this stranger I met just a few days earlier, lead guy for one of the largest disaster recovery companies in the country, wearing a hard hat, safety vest and digging through the rubble with shovel in hand.
Moments later he pulled a sign from a pile that said “Greensburg Baptist Church”. Ken held it over his head for a brief moment for me to see, then walked it over to Pastor Carlson and proudly handed him the sign for his church. I think in some small way today represents that Greensburg Baptist Church is not gone – only the building is gone. The church is still alive and well. I don’t know why working with Ken today left such an impression on me. I think it may have been the fact that instead of Ken meeting with the governor of Kansas to talk about a business deal, he chose to help this small-town church get back on its feet again. Later that day, Ken put on some gloves and worked with five kids to erect a large tent in preparation for the Sunday service.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
May 12, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado
The days are getting longer. It’s 3am and I just got to the hotel. I want to write now so I don’t forget these days but I just can’t seem to keep my eyes open.
We finished demoing the house and cleaning up the lot for the man who lost almost everything. It was a bit emotional for me. The Prentice loader and hydraulic head would reach down and grab large pieces of debris such as walls, roofs, couches, beds and kitchen cabinets. We then crush and pull them out of the former home site and place the debris in the large metal boxes in front of and behind the crane.
This man’s wife who was killed must have loved making clothes. There were rooms full of magazines and books on how to make dresses, cabinets full of fabrics and closets packet with hundreds of colorful dresses. It was a bit surreal…the sky was so blue but the wind was blowing hard. Each time I would lift a pile of clothes to place in the truck, the wind would blow some of the dresses out of the grapple claw and the through the air.
I wonder if life is more precious and more of a gift than I often consider. I hope I can remember to try and make each day count. If I was this man I don’t know how I could move on. All over this town I see where people have painted on brick walls, sides of homes and cars “God Bless Greensburg”. God if you’re out there…please bless Greensburg. Have you ever heard that statement before “live everyday as if it was your last?” This place is sure making me think a lot about what is important in life.
We finished demoing the house and cleaning up the lot for the man who lost almost everything. It was a bit emotional for me. The Prentice loader and hydraulic head would reach down and grab large pieces of debris such as walls, roofs, couches, beds and kitchen cabinets. We then crush and pull them out of the former home site and place the debris in the large metal boxes in front of and behind the crane.
This man’s wife who was killed must have loved making clothes. There were rooms full of magazines and books on how to make dresses, cabinets full of fabrics and closets packet with hundreds of colorful dresses. It was a bit surreal…the sky was so blue but the wind was blowing hard. Each time I would lift a pile of clothes to place in the truck, the wind would blow some of the dresses out of the grapple claw and the through the air.
I wonder if life is more precious and more of a gift than I often consider. I hope I can remember to try and make each day count. If I was this man I don’t know how I could move on. All over this town I see where people have painted on brick walls, sides of homes and cars “God Bless Greensburg”. God if you’re out there…please bless Greensburg. Have you ever heard that statement before “live everyday as if it was your last?” This place is sure making me think a lot about what is important in life.
Friday, May 11, 2007
May 11, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado
It rained today. The water began to wash away the dirt and dust that covered the roads that were now cleared, and I could see for the first time the black asphalt of the roads. The firehouse is almost completed, and I began looking for other people who were in need.
A man pulled up to the crane truck and offered me 250 dollars an hour to clean up the lot where his house used to be. I kindly explained that although the money would be nice, I was here to help people who could not help themselves. I explained that contractors would soon be coming in to help him but I was looking for people who did not have money to clean up their homes, had no insurance or were underinsured.
He first looked at me like I was nuts, but then he was so taken aback that I was helping his community in this way that he responded by saying, “Son, if you need anything while you are here just let me know. I have another home 20 miles outside of town. Whenever you need a clean bed and a good meal, you give me a call at this number, ya hear?”
I’ve been so impressed with the ability of these people to remain positive and persevere in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Many of the farmers who live on the outskirts of town are here with hand tools, pickup trucks and anything they have to help the community.
I needed to get around town and find out where I could be of most help. I had a new F150 Pickup truck in the back box of the crane. I hooked up the aluminum ramps, drove the pickup out and began to drive around and talk with people. I just started talking to random people everywhere. I pulled up to one man who had some sort of homemade bandage wrapped around his arm. You could tell the bandage was not working because blood was all over his arm and hand. He told me about a man who lost his wife in the storm. She was in their home when the tornado hit. The house had no basement, and there was nowhere to hide. But there is more –his business was destroyed and his only employee was killed. When I asked where he was, this man whom I just met explained the guy was at the hospital, visiting his father-in-law in the intensive care unit.
A man pulled up to the crane truck and offered me 250 dollars an hour to clean up the lot where his house used to be. I kindly explained that although the money would be nice, I was here to help people who could not help themselves. I explained that contractors would soon be coming in to help him but I was looking for people who did not have money to clean up their homes, had no insurance or were underinsured.
He first looked at me like I was nuts, but then he was so taken aback that I was helping his community in this way that he responded by saying, “Son, if you need anything while you are here just let me know. I have another home 20 miles outside of town. Whenever you need a clean bed and a good meal, you give me a call at this number, ya hear?”
I’ve been so impressed with the ability of these people to remain positive and persevere in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Many of the farmers who live on the outskirts of town are here with hand tools, pickup trucks and anything they have to help the community.
I needed to get around town and find out where I could be of most help. I had a new F150 Pickup truck in the back box of the crane. I hooked up the aluminum ramps, drove the pickup out and began to drive around and talk with people. I just started talking to random people everywhere. I pulled up to one man who had some sort of homemade bandage wrapped around his arm. You could tell the bandage was not working because blood was all over his arm and hand. He told me about a man who lost his wife in the storm. She was in their home when the tornado hit. The house had no basement, and there was nowhere to hide. But there is more –his business was destroyed and his only employee was killed. When I asked where he was, this man whom I just met explained the guy was at the hospital, visiting his father-in-law in the intensive care unit.
The local church in Greensburg contacted the man, and he agreed to have his lot cleaned up. Whether he has insurance or not, we are going to help him so he does not have to worry about getting his property prepared to rebuild again. I’ll start on it tomorrow and work with a group of local high school kids who can help rummage through the mess and set aside anything that may be of value or meaning to this man.
I cannot even begin to imagine what this man is going through. I can’t even imagine.
Monday, May 7, 2007
May 7, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado
I slept in my truck last night. I did not want to pull out and leave the city in order to find a hotel. I think it would be best to stay close in case something comes up and they need the crane. I brushed my teeth standing next to my truck using a gallon of water. The Red Cross is starting to come in with food so it looks like I won’t have to worry about food while I’m here. Most of the town is gone anyway so there would be no way to buy food.
Doyle asked me this morning if I would take down what was left of the firehouse. He said it will be the first building they will want to rebuild. Of course I agreed and began the process right away. Instead of just throwing it to the side, I loaded it into our truck, which holds 120 cubic yards. I then hauled the debris to a farm field, which Doyle said they would use as the new dump.
Doyle asked me this morning if I would take down what was left of the firehouse. He said it will be the first building they will want to rebuild. Of course I agreed and began the process right away. Instead of just throwing it to the side, I loaded it into our truck, which holds 120 cubic yards. I then hauled the debris to a farm field, which Doyle said they would use as the new dump.
While I was working on the firehouse, a group of local farmers came up to me and asked if I could come over and help disassemble what was left of the bank. When I asked why, they explained that it looked as if three large metal rafters had damaged the vault and water was beginning to seep in – which could possibly destroy important personal documents such as deposit/withdrawal slips and deeds to farms. I agreed to help and within 3 hours – and 8 Mennonite farmers equipped with sledgehammers and a chain saw – we finally accessed the vault. The vault is now covered with a temporary roof to protect important information and valuables.
Hotels within a hundred mile radius are full! But I met someone who is graciously allowing me to stay in his hotel room whenever I can find some time to get some sleep. I met him yesterday morning. He came up to my truck and said, “What are you doing here with this equipment? There are no contracts for any work here.” His name is Ken Graham and he works for a company called Philips and Jordan. He seems like a nice man and supposedly his company played a major role in cleaning up the disaster in NYC that happened on 9-11. When he heard I was here to help out for free and that there were no hotels available for 100 miles, he told me I could stay with him at his hotel about 35 miles out of town.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
May 6, 2007 - Greensburg, KS Tornado
I recently arrived in Greensburg, KS, where an EF5 tornado destroyed a whole community just three nights ago. What am I doing here? I will try to explain.
For the past few years I have worked on government-funded projects to clean up after hurricanes, which is a process that usually begins about 2 months after a storm strike. Usually over a 4-8 week period the federal and local governments work together to assess the damage, release funding and hire contractors like me to come in to clean up the mess.
Yet when I would arrive 2 months later and see the mess and destruction that remain, I could not help but wonder what it may have been like for those communities when the storm first hit. What would I have found had I arrived on the first day, the first night? What chaos, confusion and despair must there have been? What help could I have been then?
At some point we have all turned on the news and have seen graphic aerial photos and videos taken from helicopters of communities devastated by natural disasters. I recall a few vivid scenes of people like little ants rummaging through what is left of their community and trying to find friends, family and neighbors that may still be alive. I also recall scenes of people on roofs, waiving their hands, waiting for someone to come get them because floodwaters have taken over their homes. Who helps these people in these desperate times of need?
When a tornado is so powerful that it takes homes, tractor-trailers and commercial buildings and throws them through the air and drops them on roadways…who moves that debris? How do the fire trucks and ambulances get through? How are the people in need of rescuing reached? If the whole town is destroyed including all the equipment in the local municipality, what do they do to simply open up roads?
I did not know the answer to these questions, and I had no one to ask…so I decided to find out for myself-which is why I am here in the small town of Greensburg, KS, writing this blog from my truck.
Two nights ago I arrived about 50 miles outside of Greensburg. I had been driving for about 20 hours at that point and was on the lookout for diesel fuel. I figured there would be no fuel available in Greensburg since the reports I was hearing said the town no longer existed.
It was about 3 am when I saw in the distance a small country gas station with one fuel pump. I pulled up slowly in the darkness as my large black crane truck with flashing emergency lights dwarfed this small country service station. I began to fuel up the tanks with diesel when out of the corner of my eye I saw a man standing alone in the dark cool night…watching me. When I finished fueling and began to walk in toward the office to pay the man began to walk toward me. As he got closer I realized he was a bit beat up looking and wearing raggedy clothes. Without hesitation he said to me, “Are you going to Greensburg? My daughters, I have three but one is missing. Her name is Jessica, she is a veterinarian, she is about 5’6” and if you see her could you tell her that her dad is looking for her?”
I felt like I was in a dream. I slowly walked pass the man as our eyes connected and all I could say was, “Yes, if I see her I will let her know.” It was one of those moments where you thought more should be said, but I just did not know what to say.
I paid for my fuel, got back in my rig and headed on down the road toward Greensburg. About 20 miles up the unlit country roads I saw a sign for a hospital. I maneuvered my way into the hospital parking lot, parked and walked into the E.R. A nurse stopped to ask if I needed help, and I explained I was there trying to find out some information about what is happening in Greensburg. She called in a local police officer to talk to me.
We shook hands, and I explained I was here with this large Prentice crane truck equipped with a specialized hydraulic crane head that could help open up roads. He explained that they were not allowing anyone in Greensburg at the time and that every road was barricaded off. He said that was all he knew, and he wished me luck. I decided to get back in the truck and continue into Greensburg until I hit the first roadblock.
Sure enough a few miles up the road I pulled up to a fireman who was standing in the middle of the road. As I rolled up I shut down my engine and rolled down my window. I could see he was dirty and had most likely not slept since the storm hit. Before I could say anything, he picked up his walkie-talkie and said, “Hey chief, Disaster Recovery Solutions is here” as he read the name of my company off the door of the truck. A voice came back over the radio saying, “Who the hell is Disaster Recovery Solutions?” The fireman responded, “I don’t know boss but you better get out here and look at this truck. This guy might be able to help us.”
I was instructed to pull over to the side of the road and wait till the man in charge could come out to meet me. As the sun began to rise I saw what I had never had the opportunity to see before - a community that had just experience the wrath of Mother Nature. I was able to see in front of me what was left of this small country town. It literally looked like a bomb hit. As far as I could see, everything was virtually leveled and whatever was still standing was beyond repair.
Moments later a small beat up truck pulled up. The man who stepped out of the vehicle introduced himself as Doyle Conrad, public works director of Greensburg. I explained to Doyle that I was there to help and wanted to open up roads free of charge. He was a bit nervous after seeing the big crane truck and wondered if I was telling the truth and if I was really was there to help for free. He explained he needed help clearing a path to the firehouse so that the fireman could get whatever was left in the firehouse. I agreed to do whatever he needed. He asked if I would sign a piece of paper promising I would not charge him anything. We walked over to his truck and – on the hood of that truck – I wrote on a crumbled up piece of paper that I would not charge him. We shook hands, he pointed toward the direction where the firehouse used to be and wished me luck.
I could not believe what I saw that morning. Fully loaded tractor trailers blown from across town blocking roads; huge 70-foot steel I-beams intertwined with building debris, blocking intersections. All I could do was use the crane to drag things to the side of the road. I began to take notes on other equipment that I would need to add to my fleet next time I responded to a disaster, such as torches and plasma cutters.
Just a few short hours later I cleared the debris leading up to the bumper of the fire trucks. Concrete I-beams weighing thousands of pounds pinned both of the trucks down. The firehouse and trucks were destroyed and beyond repair. The fire chief was standing by as I made my last dig with the crane. The firemen were able to access their destroyed trucks and recover important tools and equipment they would need to help their devastated town.
I was so distracted at the task at hand that I did not have time to look around me and take it all in…until a woman walking through the rubble right in front of me collapsed. Two others walking nearby came to her aid and as I sat there atop my crane looking down at this woman, then looking at the devastating destruction as far as I could see…I realized I was no longer going to use my equipment to come in two months after a disaster to make money. Instead I was going to use my equipment to respond to disasters on day one and through those first few critical days and weeks until help arrives.
I began to realize at that point that many small community resources are probably insufficient to deal with a large scope disaster. And when a storm does strike, whatever resources communities have to help themselves will also be destroyed.
And who is going to come help these people with specialized expensive equipment? There is no money to be made here. There is no customer for this type of help and work. In fact, before any money is to be released to contractors to help these communities, federal and local governments need to make assessments, which usually takes 4-8 weeks. Personally, I understand the process. Before millions of dollars are released to help communities, assessments should be done so taxpayers dollars are spent appropriately.
For the past few years I have worked on government-funded projects to clean up after hurricanes, which is a process that usually begins about 2 months after a storm strike. Usually over a 4-8 week period the federal and local governments work together to assess the damage, release funding and hire contractors like me to come in to clean up the mess.
Yet when I would arrive 2 months later and see the mess and destruction that remain, I could not help but wonder what it may have been like for those communities when the storm first hit. What would I have found had I arrived on the first day, the first night? What chaos, confusion and despair must there have been? What help could I have been then?
At some point we have all turned on the news and have seen graphic aerial photos and videos taken from helicopters of communities devastated by natural disasters. I recall a few vivid scenes of people like little ants rummaging through what is left of their community and trying to find friends, family and neighbors that may still be alive. I also recall scenes of people on roofs, waiving their hands, waiting for someone to come get them because floodwaters have taken over their homes. Who helps these people in these desperate times of need?
When a tornado is so powerful that it takes homes, tractor-trailers and commercial buildings and throws them through the air and drops them on roadways…who moves that debris? How do the fire trucks and ambulances get through? How are the people in need of rescuing reached? If the whole town is destroyed including all the equipment in the local municipality, what do they do to simply open up roads?
I did not know the answer to these questions, and I had no one to ask…so I decided to find out for myself-which is why I am here in the small town of Greensburg, KS, writing this blog from my truck.
Two nights ago I arrived about 50 miles outside of Greensburg. I had been driving for about 20 hours at that point and was on the lookout for diesel fuel. I figured there would be no fuel available in Greensburg since the reports I was hearing said the town no longer existed.
It was about 3 am when I saw in the distance a small country gas station with one fuel pump. I pulled up slowly in the darkness as my large black crane truck with flashing emergency lights dwarfed this small country service station. I began to fuel up the tanks with diesel when out of the corner of my eye I saw a man standing alone in the dark cool night…watching me. When I finished fueling and began to walk in toward the office to pay the man began to walk toward me. As he got closer I realized he was a bit beat up looking and wearing raggedy clothes. Without hesitation he said to me, “Are you going to Greensburg? My daughters, I have three but one is missing. Her name is Jessica, she is a veterinarian, she is about 5’6” and if you see her could you tell her that her dad is looking for her?”
I felt like I was in a dream. I slowly walked pass the man as our eyes connected and all I could say was, “Yes, if I see her I will let her know.” It was one of those moments where you thought more should be said, but I just did not know what to say.
I paid for my fuel, got back in my rig and headed on down the road toward Greensburg. About 20 miles up the unlit country roads I saw a sign for a hospital. I maneuvered my way into the hospital parking lot, parked and walked into the E.R. A nurse stopped to ask if I needed help, and I explained I was there trying to find out some information about what is happening in Greensburg. She called in a local police officer to talk to me.
We shook hands, and I explained I was here with this large Prentice crane truck equipped with a specialized hydraulic crane head that could help open up roads. He explained that they were not allowing anyone in Greensburg at the time and that every road was barricaded off. He said that was all he knew, and he wished me luck. I decided to get back in the truck and continue into Greensburg until I hit the first roadblock.
Sure enough a few miles up the road I pulled up to a fireman who was standing in the middle of the road. As I rolled up I shut down my engine and rolled down my window. I could see he was dirty and had most likely not slept since the storm hit. Before I could say anything, he picked up his walkie-talkie and said, “Hey chief, Disaster Recovery Solutions is here” as he read the name of my company off the door of the truck. A voice came back over the radio saying, “Who the hell is Disaster Recovery Solutions?” The fireman responded, “I don’t know boss but you better get out here and look at this truck. This guy might be able to help us.”
I was instructed to pull over to the side of the road and wait till the man in charge could come out to meet me. As the sun began to rise I saw what I had never had the opportunity to see before - a community that had just experience the wrath of Mother Nature. I was able to see in front of me what was left of this small country town. It literally looked like a bomb hit. As far as I could see, everything was virtually leveled and whatever was still standing was beyond repair.
Moments later a small beat up truck pulled up. The man who stepped out of the vehicle introduced himself as Doyle Conrad, public works director of Greensburg. I explained to Doyle that I was there to help and wanted to open up roads free of charge. He was a bit nervous after seeing the big crane truck and wondered if I was telling the truth and if I was really was there to help for free. He explained he needed help clearing a path to the firehouse so that the fireman could get whatever was left in the firehouse. I agreed to do whatever he needed. He asked if I would sign a piece of paper promising I would not charge him anything. We walked over to his truck and – on the hood of that truck – I wrote on a crumbled up piece of paper that I would not charge him. We shook hands, he pointed toward the direction where the firehouse used to be and wished me luck.
I could not believe what I saw that morning. Fully loaded tractor trailers blown from across town blocking roads; huge 70-foot steel I-beams intertwined with building debris, blocking intersections. All I could do was use the crane to drag things to the side of the road. I began to take notes on other equipment that I would need to add to my fleet next time I responded to a disaster, such as torches and plasma cutters.
Just a few short hours later I cleared the debris leading up to the bumper of the fire trucks. Concrete I-beams weighing thousands of pounds pinned both of the trucks down. The firehouse and trucks were destroyed and beyond repair. The fire chief was standing by as I made my last dig with the crane. The firemen were able to access their destroyed trucks and recover important tools and equipment they would need to help their devastated town.
I was so distracted at the task at hand that I did not have time to look around me and take it all in…until a woman walking through the rubble right in front of me collapsed. Two others walking nearby came to her aid and as I sat there atop my crane looking down at this woman, then looking at the devastating destruction as far as I could see…I realized I was no longer going to use my equipment to come in two months after a disaster to make money. Instead I was going to use my equipment to respond to disasters on day one and through those first few critical days and weeks until help arrives.
I began to realize at that point that many small community resources are probably insufficient to deal with a large scope disaster. And when a storm does strike, whatever resources communities have to help themselves will also be destroyed.
And who is going to come help these people with specialized expensive equipment? There is no money to be made here. There is no customer for this type of help and work. In fact, before any money is to be released to contractors to help these communities, federal and local governments need to make assessments, which usually takes 4-8 weeks. Personally, I understand the process. Before millions of dollars are released to help communities, assessments should be done so taxpayers dollars are spent appropriately.
Nevertheless, something needs to be done about this. Equipment is needed on day one and from the looks of this disaster, I have a feeling more than just a crane truck is needed.
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