Please Help Me Help Joplin, Missouri Tornado Victims Next Month!

Tornado Rips Through Joplin, MO

One of the most difficult parts of my job as a weather communicator and observer is seeing photos and video of families and communities being ripped apart by an uncontrollable force - Mother Nature.

What originally sparked my interest in weather were the sights and sounds of severe weather, the wall of white falling from the sky during a blizzard and those eerily calm and pristine summer days with moderate heat, low humidity and not a cloud in the sky.

However, the harsh reality is that weather kills. This past year, this was seen in Joplin, Missouri. On May 22, severe weather sparked an EF5 multi-vortex tornado which through Joplin, killing more than 150 people and injuring many others.

ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is going to help some of the families of that tragic Spring day next month. In what will clearly be a massive undertaking, the hit show will build seven homes in seven days. It would mean so much to me to be able to see first hand how much this tragic event hurt so many families. I really want to volunteer my time and help out.

That's why I added the "DONATE" button on the right side of the page. This button serves two purposes.  First and foremost, I hope it will help raise money for the families affected by May's deadly tornado outbreak. Secondly, it will help me be able to spend seven days down there in Missouri helping out with the project and pitching in for a good cause. I would of course provide proof here on my website for how the donations are used and document the week.

I had the pleasure of helping volunteer as a general worker for one of the show's episodes last year and it was such a rewarding experience. Besides all the glitz and glam of the television cameras and well-known celebrities appearing left and right, it boiled down to this...strangers helping strangers. You've got to love that.

Typically, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition builds one home in seven days, a big undertaking in itself. When construction begins on October 19, we'll be talking about seven of these big undertakings in one. This will change the lives of seven families.

Of course there are going to be dozens of other deserving families that do not get picked for a new home, and it's heartbreaking to think about. But, in the end, it is simply better to do something, rather than nothing. And I will do my best to raise money for as many affected families as I can and I'm asking you to help me with this.





Video of the May 22, 2011 Joplin Tornado. | Courtesy Youtube user TornadoVideosDotNet
Across the country and the world, there are thousands of people who need our help, both for weather disaster reasons and other reasons too. If you're one of the lucky ones like I am -- you have a home to come back to every day and food on the table -- just take the time to think about the recent weather events that have displaced so many regular people like you and I.

Hurricane Irene.

C/o Guardian.co.uk

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami.

c/o geardiary.com

Drought in Texas.

C/o wjla.com

And the list goes on...

This should open our eyes to the tough realities so many families face. In my opinion, this Joplin project is going to be quite extraordinary.

Thanks so much for your support and if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me!

Posted in: Donations,Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,Joplin,Missouri,tornado,tornado video,victims