Lifetimes of memories ... blowin' in the wind

By now many of us are well aware of the tornadoes that hit Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma over the weekend - killing dozens of people.

It is during times of tragedy that emergency officials spring into action ... everyone from the State Emergency Management Agency to the National Guard to first responders at the local levels. These are the folks who see the devastation in an "up close and personal" way. And many times these police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and others actually know the victims or their families ... adding to the personal side of a tragedy of this proportion.

These emergency crews are not the only people springing into action amid the devastation. Utility crews are pressed into service as they try to restore electricity to thousands of homes affected by power outages. The good people who operate shelters brace for the onslaught of "the new homeless." And city and county officials must open the doors of armories, meeting halls, and the like to accommodate those for whom there is no room at the shelters.

Then there is the role that we in the media play. Missourinet affiliates in southwest Missouri have had their hands full since the twisters hit ... as have newspapers and TV stations there and throughout the state. Part of what we do is criticized by some who say we are exploiting a situation by providing audio, video, and photographs of victims when they are most vulnerable.

To be sure, there is some of that going on, and it overshadows the positive role the media play when covering events such as these. But that is a small part. Folks who have suffered tremendous losses need help. There is no way the media can help bring back a loved one who has died ... but we can raise awareness about property losses - how someone who had a lovely home just days ago is now asking for a bowl of soup and a piece of dry floor to sleep on.

Missourinet affiliate KTTS in Springfield offers a great example of how the media can play a constructive role in helping to increase awareness outside the affected area and, perhaps, to inspire those who were not hit by the severe weather to want to help their fellow Missourians - financially or otherwise. The station's website not only provides photographs and information on the tragedy, but it offers valuable information as to where Red Cross shelters are located.

The Joplin Globe, which has a business relationship with the Missourinet, offers extensive coverage of the destruction caused by the tornadoes. Thanks to the website, readers are constantly updated on news regarding friends and family ... and their damaged homes and businesses.

While the media report on the destruction, we are not immune to all that happens. A twister took out a transmitter shack and damaged the tower of radio station KBTN in Joplin. (But the station is still on the air!)

Let's end this piece with a contribution from David Brazeal - Managing Director for Learfield Interaction. (That's an actual position, but I digress!) David lives in southwest Missouri between Billings and Republic. The weather got nasty early Saturday evening ... but he and his family were spared the brunt of the severe storms. Nonetheless, personal items and belongings - one of them believed to come from Seneca, Missouri (approximately 75 miles away) and another from as far away as Miami, Oklahoma (a distance of about 85 miles) - ended up on David's property.

That, in itself, is fascinating ... but David has picked up a piece of what appears to be a family photograph ... which could mean a lot to someone who has lost so much ... and is looking for the owner. He's posted the photo on his website. It's not much to go on, but it's another example of how the media can be of assistance, and it could be worth a great deal to someone whose lives have been so negatively impacted ... and whose memories and mementoes were last seen just blowin' in the wind.

- Steve Walsh