Traffic

Traffic
Originally uploaded by surfinsandy23

I couldn't believe how much traffic there was on our street all week.
It seems the east end of our street suffered more damage than on our west end. To make matters worse, there is a trailer park on the east end. I can't imagine what it would be like living in a trailer through a storm like this.
I imagine most the traffic was people checking on others, taking some to shelters, or to the store for supplies.
During the night before I heard freight trains going through on the tracks west of town, and it didn't sound like they were even slowing down. I don't know how the storm didn't slow them down.

By Wednesday, when this photo was taken, we were making attempts to check on my mother in law.
My husband's brother lives closer to her than anyone else and he tried to get to her Tuesday night. He was not allowed on her street because of limbs and power lines down. He was told someone had been up and down her street to check on everyone and was told she was fine. Later, she told us no one had even come to her door.
She is a diabetic, living alone, and someone was trying to check on her. Why would they just lie like that?

So Wednesday, my husband tried to call officials to find out if the street had been cleared enough for him to go get her. We were pretty sure she was without power, because her phone was not being answered, (she has an cordless phone which needs power), which also meant she had no heat. He was given rude and short answers on the phone that were anything but helpful. So he called the radio station to see if someone listening who lived closer to her and could go check on her or tell him if the street was clear.
To make a long story short, he got through, people were listening and helping, and a good Samaritan picked her up and brought her to our house.
Our hometown radio station, was a life line for this community during this whole ordeal. They stopped all their regular broadcasting and turned into a communication hub. People could call in and ask for help or offer help for a wide variety of needs. Information about the water shortage, updates about the power companies, shelter information and much much more was being announced all day, every day. It was a vital tool for people in Boyle County and surrounding counties. At times they even operated by battery power, without lights, without heat, and surviving by volunteers taking them food, calling them and telling them what was going on outside their studio or trailer.
They are our home town heroes! Thanks Charlie Perry and everyone there who helped this community even though your own homes were needing power, trees cut and whatever else. I hope you know just how much you helped this community!