By now, most of you are aware that my hometown of West Liberty, Kentucky was absolutely decimated.
Aerial view:
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Some of the rare few homes left standing:
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The common view of most everything:
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Morgan County’s historic court house:
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And that’s just the beginning.
Many have asked me what they can do to support relief and recovery efforts both in Henryville, IN and in West Liberty.
Here’s how: use the money you’re going to spend on coffee this week to give to the Red Cross.
Whether it’s $5 or $25 per week, give that money to help. If you can afford to read this, you can afford to take me up on it.
What you won’t read about in the mainstream, as they didn’t have access and were afraid to join me this morning as I visited family and friends to survey damages and pay condolences to our deceased loved ones? Is that it’s not just a few roofs ripped off. Telecommunications infrastructure is dead at the moment. There are maybe two buildings in town that are structurally sound. The rest are gone or just a few walls remain. Funeral homes are gone. Most pharmacies and stores are gone. Gas stations demolished. Flooding is separating part of the town. The hospital was severely damaged. Schools damaged.
Outside of town proper? Tons of damage. People are conducting searches on horseback because many areas are still impassable.
I still have family and friends who are unaccounted for.
I’ve done my part and now I’m asking you to do the same. You know Frankfort isn’t competent enough to handle this so you’re going to need to support organizations that can. If you have a dollar, DONATE IT HERE. You don’t have to like me. You may even be one of the many people who went so far as to try defaming me last year. But the least you can do is support your fellow Kentuckians who have never needed you more than they do at this moment.
Jake
12 responses so far ↓
1 parawho // Mar 3, 2012 at 5:16 pm
wouldn’t it be great if LMEMS would have sent resources to ANY of the affected areas?
Not even to neighboring Clark, Co. IN. … great leadership
2 Cavemouse // Mar 3, 2012 at 5:31 pm
Per Emergency Management and Homeland Security rules, LMEMS had to wait until they were REQUESTED. They were not. A crew and supervisor were on standby and a call list was ready. They were willing and ready if the request had come.
3 jake // Mar 3, 2012 at 6:00 pm
I don’t want to sound insensitive but it wasn’t necessary for LMEMS to assist in either situation. And for that we are fortunate, despite lives lost and hundreds of injuries.
THAT’S how many people showed up to help.
And LFD did send people, I think.
4 parawho // Mar 3, 2012 at 6:53 pm
…..but Rural Metro sent folks from their Indianapolis office? ……but they didn’t need any help. :-/
maybe it’s because LMEMS has a poor image in the regional community.
Womp womp.
5 jake // Mar 3, 2012 at 6:57 pm
There’s no doubt LMEMS is a disaster on the management front but this isn’t an instance to criticize. They literally were not needed in Eastern Kentucky.
I’m sure they could have assisted in Indiana but even there? Tons of support nearly instantly. Thankfully.
6 Cavemouse // Mar 3, 2012 at 6:59 pm
Maybe it is because Indiana used there plan as it was written, in-state first.
7 parawho // Mar 3, 2012 at 7:01 pm
Eastern Kentucky, no. I agree, jake.
20 miles from downtown Louisville, I don’t know……
8 Gil Albans // Mar 3, 2012 at 9:20 pm
And why didn’t LMPD send their SRT team, you know the one that trains for disaster response? Great call Greg
9 Gil Albans // Mar 3, 2012 at 9:24 pm
Here is how that team is defined in the LMPD policy on louisvilleky.gov
Special Response Team (SRT): Responds to situations that involve, or might involve, civil
disturbances, weapons of mass destruction, natural disasters and other major events.
10 jake // Mar 3, 2012 at 9:34 pm
We can complain about the asshats in Metro who mismanage everything or we can focus on giving back to those who need us. Up to you.
But if you want to complain this weekend – complain about Frankfort being such a shit pile of awful that next to nothing will roll out of there to save the communities in Kentucky that were devastated. Or complain about the 12-year-old girl behavior from Damon Thayer today. Or the fact that legislators have left rural Kentucky in the literal dark for so long that there’s no functioning telecommunications system outside the Golden Triangle.
11 Don't Tred on Me, or I'll Cut You // Mar 4, 2012 at 6:09 am
I’m sure Indiana and Kentucky followed their individual disaster response plans during this event, as mandated by the US National Disaster Response Plan. A government entity, like police, fire or EMS, can’t cross jurisdictional boundaries, even within the state, unless there is a pre-existing legal memorandum of understanding that allows them to do so and only if their assistance is officially requested by whoever is in charge of the disaster, like either state or federal officials and approved by Kentucky and Metro officials.
If some hotdog LMEMS crew decided to take it upon themselves to leave Jefferson County, they wouldn’t be recognized by or allowed to participate in the response efforts by the incident commander in charge. Their insubordinate behavior would be reported to the appropriate officials, and, more than likely, they would lose their jobs.
As citizens, they could volunteer through the Red Cross.
12 Sunny_Disinfect // Mar 4, 2012 at 5:40 pm
I didn’t know you were from West Liberty. I have sent a check to the American Red Cross designated for Kentucky Tornado Disaster Relief. I hope your loved ones come through this ok.
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