February 28, 2008 - Prattville, AL Tornado

We have been in Prattville for over a week. From what we are being told from the local government, the National Guard will not bring in any equipment and FEMA has decided to show no support. The First Response Team has been working side by side with the local municipality workers and whatever equipment they have available to them. There is no doubt that we have made significant progress in this community. Thanks to Edward we also have a hotel room to sleep in, which we are very thankful for.

Today I was talking with someone, and I noticed a sophisticated looking man out of the corner of my eye, leaning up against his recent model pickup truck. He walked up to me and tried to speak but his lip began to quiver and nothing came out of his mouth. I knew he wanted to say something but because he was holding back his tears so hard nothing would come out. Finally the words came out of his mouth and with tears coming down his face he said, “That pile…that pile of my house…you cleaned it up for me. I can't tell you…you’ll never know how much it meant that you came and helped me. I feel like I can start again.” The man turned around immediately and walked back toward his truck and drove away. I don’t think I will ever have a chance to meet that man again. I don’t know who he was or which home site he lived on but I can’t help but be moved by what happened today.

I constantly find myself wondering what it is like for these people to lose everything. I’m not sure I will ever know until it happens to me but I do know I want to keep being here for these people and these communities as more disasters continue to happen in America. I wonder sometimes if it’s not necessarily what we do for these people but that something is happening…and happening quickly. It translates into that fact that it won’t be this way forever – progress is happening, people care, and the rebuilding process is beginning and will continue.

February 19, 2008 - Prattville, AL Tornado

This morning Edward set up a meeting between the mayor, his staff and myself. I was interested in putting a plan together that will speed up the process of opening up the roads and cleaning up the homes for the citizens of Prattville…which at this point would hopefully boost their wavering moral.

I recommended that the city provide me with as many dump trucks that were available to them from within their organization as well as surrounding counties. Within hours the Prentice loader operated by Tim Wolkowicz was loading dump truck after dump truck for the city free of charge. The grapple truck dwarfed every piece of equipment we were working with and the citizens were coming from everywhere wondering what all the commotion was. So many expressed their thanks as we went from house to house cleaning up what was left of their homes.

February 18, 2008 - Prattville, AL Tornado

Online reports indicated that 200 homes and 40 businesses were affected by another tornado. There was no indication whether the storm caused total destruction or whether the houses sustained minimal damage. The reports were inconclusive but from what we could gather the storm was bad so we decided it would be best for us to respond.

We arrived in Prattville, Alabama, eight hours later. The city was somewhat in a daze. Traffic was everywhere, and there was no heavy equipment brought in to help. The federal government provided no aid and the National Guard came with no equipment – just volunteers. We were the only ones who came with equipment to clean up the streets and neighborhoods. Within 30 minutes of my arrival I met the local leaders who were in charge. Edward Clinton, the Director of Solid Waste for Prattville, welcomed us into the city and within no time Disaster Recovery Solutions’ First Response Team was working side-by-side with the city workers and their limited equipment.

We began to open up roads within hours of our arrival but I was interested in finding out what resources this small community had to see if there was a way we could work together.