Children Survive Storm that Landed Pet Horse in Grandparents’ Kitchen

The following post is by Angela Nicholas, a Red Cross volunteer from the Coastal South Carolina Chapter in Myrtle Beach, SC. Angela is a former Chapter Executive and is currently volunteering with Red Cross Public Affairs. This past week, she has been out in the field collecting stories from Southern Indiana and Kentucky residents affected by the March 2 tornadoes.

Six-year-old Shelby Cole, who survied the March 2 Kentucky tornado, listens intently to American Red Cross Mental Health Volunteer Alex Weinstein of the Greater Carolinas Chapter in Charlotte. Weinstein and other Red Cross mental health volunteers use artwork and other techniques to help children work through their fears. - Photo by Angela Nicholas

When Barbara Green and her husband dug their way out of the rubble that was their home before the March 2 tornado ripped through West Liberty, Kentucky, they found their horse lying on the kitchen floor. The couple rode out the storm in the hallway of their home and survived without injury. “We got up and dug our way out. I found the tornado had carried our horse through the roof and into our kitchen. It was laying on its side but was okay,” she said.

Green brought her two granddaughters, Audrey Cole, 3, and Shelby Cole, 6, with her to Morgan Central Elementary School where the Red Cross had set up a Service Center to provide resources for tornado survivors. The girls and their parents also lost their home to the storm. Green said the horse and the rest of the family’s animals except for one dog that was killed were okay and being tended by West Liberty veterinarian Dave Fugit. They included a cat with a broken leg and a cat with a broken jaw, but otherwise, the injuries were not too severe.

“Our animals were trapped,” said Shelby, who noted that the family has a donkey, chickens and ducks as well. “It was sad and scary.” Her little sister described what the storm did to their house, saying, “It flew everywhere.”

Both children were greeted at the Center by Volunteer Mental Health Professionals Bruce Funk of York County, Pennsylvania, and Alex Weinstein of Charlotte, N.C. Funk spent some time talking to them and presented them with small Mickey Mouse toys to cheer them up. Weinstein then chatted with the older child and used art to help her work through her fears. Green received assistance to help the family get back on the road to recovery, and the little girls left the Center smiling.

Louisville Volunteer Deployed to North Dakota

Red Cross volunteer Joe Brennan visits with a Louisville resident during a canvassing project to promote fire safety and prevention in 2009.

Louisville Area Chapter volunteer Joe Brennan has been deployed on numerous disasters, exposing him to the aftermaths of floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and ice storms. His extensive experience makes it no surprise that he’s a master of speed packing.

“Within 20 minutes, I can pack,” Joe says. “I have it all in a box—everything from toothpaste, to toilet paper, to shirts. When I give an orientation, I tell people, “You never know.”

Yesterday afternoon, he packed up once again, boarding a flight to North Dakota where he will assist a fellow Red Cross Chapter responding to flooding. As a mental health specialist, Joe helps ensure that those affected by disaster receive the emotional support they need to make it through trying experiences. Once he assesses the situation and becomes familiar with local resources, he can take action to prevent additional stress.

Joe says letting people know that their reactions are normal is one of the most important things he can do, but he insists the real support comes from family and friends. Knowledge of partner organizations also helps in offering referrals for long-term support.

While deployed, Joe will also support Red Cross workers. Disaster workers are deployed anywhere from a few days to four weeks, and the stress of the operation can take its toll.

“Sometimes things get to you, and you have to pull yourself away from it,” he says. To keep himself positive, Joe reads, goes on walks and even does Tai Chi.

Disaster operations are demanding, but Joe says he loves the opportunity to meet and work with new people from all over the country and all walks of life.

“There’s no upmanship,” Joe says of working on disaster operations. “People are just people doing their job. They’re there to help others, and that’s the bottom line.”

Disaster Mental Health

The physical devastation a disaster has on a community is easy to see, but disasters also have a mental effect. Here Lisa, our disaster mental health expert, shares how the Red Cross mentally supports both people affected by disaster and its own volunteers.