143: Community

photo by Darrin Rogers via StarTribune.com

Yesterday afternoon, a tornado ripped through North Minneapolis, blowing down trees, taking off roofs, and knocking out power to much of the area -- that's $166 million in damage, according to the Star Tribune.  We only caught the very edge of the system, but it was enough to make it look like a hurricane was rolling through.  The storm damage in North Minneapolis is so severe that Xcel Energy cannot even find evidence of telephone poles to reconnect power lines, so electricity may not be restored to parts of the city until Wednesday.  Today, throughout North Minneapolis, there was an extraordinary outpouring of community support and neighbors sharing resources and doing whatever they could to lend a hand to those who need it most.  Meanwhile, Joplin, Missouri is dealing with the aftermath of a much stronger tornado that caused shocking devastation and killed as many as 30 people (per the New York Times).  Those of us fortunate enough to have dodged the meteorological bullet are keeping them in our thoughts.  Please, if you are able, consider donating to the American Red Cross or North Minneapolis Recovery Fund.