Southern Illinois desperately needs your help, DU!

[ColesCountyDem]

In the 1830's, after a series of crop failures in northern Illinois, people came to southern Illinois to purchase grain for food and seed, hence our nickname 'Egypt'. Today, a great swatch of 'Egypt' lies in ruins, as the result of today's tornado outbreak. Brookport, New Minden, Hoyleton, West Salem, rural areas surrounding Mt. Carmel ... the list goes on. Several are dead, scores, possibly hundreds are injured, and many, many more have been left without shelter. Egypt needs your help now, so please give generously to the Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, American Baptist Home Missions, etc. . We are badly hurt, and in desperate need of your help.

Thank you!

[rhett o rick]

1. I hope things get better soon. nm

[ColesCountyDem]

2. Thank you!

The devastation is incredible.

[ColesCountyDem]

3. The three groups mentioned are HERE, on the ground, which is why I specifically listed them. n/t

[kestrel91316]

4. Easy donation links:

Red Cross disaster relief: https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp;jsessionid=932EA6BCA898566A5144424515731429?donateStep=2&itemId=prod10002

Catholic Relief Services:
https://secure.crs.org/site/Donation2?1080.donation=form1&df_id=1080

My personal favorite because Mennonites helped my family years ago is Mennonite Disaster Service:
http://www.mds.mennonite.net/home/

[ColesCountyDem]

5. Thank you for posting them!

Rather hectic here at the moment, as you can imagine.

[Brigid]

6. All I can offer you right here on DU . . .

[ColesCountyDem]

8. Hugs help!

[ColesCountyDem]

7. Lourdes Hospital E.R. in Paducah KY "swamped" with Brookport casualties.

ISP District 22 confirms 'many remain missing and unaccounted for' in Brookport.

[Mini79]

10. 62 year old woman from Brookport died in Baptist a little while ago

I am about 20 miles from Brookport. (Paducah area) Friends are reporting there are a lot of people missing but some may have been in area shelters.

USEC got hit too but so far it sounds like just minimal damage.

[ColesCountyDem]

12. Yes, three are confirmed dead, several still missing.

My cousin is a deputy sheriff here in Franklin County, and our sheriff's office (and several other surrounding counties') sent 3 officers to Massac County, as part of a regional 'mutual aid' agreement. A 22-year veteran of our department, he described the damage done to Brookport as 'mind blowing'. Search-and-rescue efforts will continue, until all are found or otherwise accounted for.

[easychoice]

9. I am speechless...

see the photos...

http://www.wunderground.com/news/severe-outbreak-aftermath-updates-20131117

[ColesCountyDem]

13. It's every bit that bad, and worse.

The great Tri-State Tornado of 1925 also cut through 'Egypt', so we are great believers in tornado sirens. Had it not been for them, the number of dead would be much, much higher.

[hog]

11. survior

Twenty four years ago Hurricane Hugo flattened and flooded my little hometown, McClellanville, S.C. It took a long time and we still measure time "before and after Hugo" but we recovered and so will you.

You will see the best and worst in people, but you'll see more good than bad. Keep your eye on the pious people. They'll be the first to take advantage of the resources brought to help those most in need. Remember what Harry Truman said his grandfather told him: "Harry, if your neighbor starts praying too loud, put an extra lock on the chicken house, because he's coming to steal your chickens."

Now let's see what the Republican Congress does to help. Good luck on that one.

[ColesCountyDem]

14. Thank you for sharing your experience.

We've survived tornadoes-- the Tri-State Tornado of 1925 also devastated the region-- mine disasters, flooding from the Mississippi, Ohio and Wabash rivers and earthquakes, so we'll survive this, too. So far, much of the help has been of the 'neighbor helping neighbor' variety, plus the Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, and American Baptist Home Missions, the later three organizations having regional offices. Others will come-- Gov. Quinn will be here today, e.g.-- and the wheels of governmental machinery will slowly grind into life.

Surprisingly (to outsiders, at least), few people here are in organized shelters. Virtually all who were left homeless by yesterday's tornadoes have been taken in by family, friends and neighbors. We are poor people here, overall, and the old saying that 'poor people are the most generous' is demonstrably true in 'Egypt'. When you have little yourself, you truly understand what it means to your neighbor, when he loses everything, no matter how little that may have been.

We've survived worse and recovered, and we will again.

[ColesCountyDem]

15. Video of Brookport IL, late yesterday afternoon.

[monmouth3]

16. I have a dear friend, originally from Eldorado now in Hoyleton. She wrote that it was very bad..n/t

[ColesCountyDem]

17. The destruction is mind-blowing! n/t