That persistent, annoying sound…it continued and would not go away. It kept screaming at me to wake up, but I was in a deep sleep that night and not coming out of it easily. The night was February 19, and the weather alerts had just begun to pound across my phone. Perhaps it was a good thing I was so dead asleep. After spending my childhood in Wichita Falls, also known as Tornado Alley, I knew this type of alert meant to take cover. I usually panic and begin to pull things from under the stairs to make room in the closet…woman and cat first! But, that night I was in a deep fog and could barely follow the alerts from Alamo Heights across the city. I laid in bed and listened to the news as I fell back to sleep.

It is amazing to have five tornados in one night touch ground and not one injury or death. Many of you have already forgotten about the storms, because they seemed to have little or no affect. But, that is not true. There were emotional injuries to homeowners who lost everything and small business owners who may not see another day. One story gripped my heart to hear how a woman lost her home and her mother all in the same week. Alamo Heights experienced the only F-2 storm and still has significant damage. Those were injured lives. Maybe they did not go to a hospital, but the injuries were significant nonetheless. Many will heal and out of resilience and love for where they are, they will re-build.

I would like to remind you to join me and wake up to what happens around us. I know if something is not going on in my particular area of town, it is easy to close my eyes to the needs.   So often in this large city, we forget there are things happening outside of our own neighborhood. But, these businesses in Alamo Heights will need community support as they re-open. Their success and survival is success for all of us. We want a thriving city from every direction for it helps us all in the long run.

When a news story such as this comes in through the fog, let us resolve to pay attention…no matter what area of town needs help and be there to lend support. Don’t forget about them…though time has passed, they need us even more after the businesses open once again.

Hopefully, we have had our quota of tornados for long time.

Pamela Lutrell, Editor
San Antonio Woman