Alabama Tornadoes, April 27th

I pretty much watch the news two to three times a day and very little has been said about the devastating tornadoes that ripped through Alabama this week. On April 27^th the deadliest outbreak of tornadoes since 1932, hit the city of Tuscaloosa, one of the heaviest hit cities where there were 228 confirmed deaths and 900 were injured. The death toll from six states impacted by the storms include, 33 in Mississippi, 34 in Tennessee, 15 in Georgia, 5 in Virginia, 2 in Louisiana and 1 in Kentucky. A total of 328 deaths were reported by late Friday. Tuscaloosa, and other cities, have been declared major disaster areas by the President and FEMA will be providing aid for the area.

Why is it that not much is being reported on our news about this national disaster? Any time something like this happens in another country we hear about it for days. And yet, this occurred right here and did not receive the national attention it deserved. It’s really a shame that I have to get my news from Facebook and not the major networks. We should be informed about our citizens so we can reach out and help in any way possible, like we have done for foreign countries in their time of need. This is not just a local news story, it is a national news story. My regular television programming wasn’t interrupted like it is for every single event with breaking news. So many times it’s been interrupted by things much more trivial that could have waited till the 5 o’clock regular news. Here, they knew the path of the tornado, the force of it and the devastation it was about to cause. They had it on video (see below) as it approached, and yet the major networks were not broadcasting it as it was happening. They did not devote much time to it after, from what I saw either. And ironically, two days later, there were hours of nonstop coverage for the Royal Wedding. Something is not right with this picture.

In case you have not heard or seen what I am talking about, you can do your own research online or I have posted a couple of links below to give you an idea. I don’t know where our priorities are in this country. This is a national story that should have been shown from start to finish. I get the impression that it was mainly treated like local news. That’s just unacceptable.

Today I will pray for all who have lost their loved ones and homes and hope relief efforts restore some sense of normalcy to their lives soon. We are so quick to inform and to act when it concerns other countries, but when it concerns our citizens not so much.

LIVE Videos of tornado: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA7TKSHJ_wM (8 mins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjVW0Du2ZIo&feature=player_embedded

Slideshow of damages: : http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/gallery/news/tuscaloosa-alabama-tornado-apr-27-2011