Storm's impact reaches Nevadan

"This picture says a lot. I thought it very interesting the storm's placement of the flag. This area is just about 5 miles from the farm where I grew up near Racine," said Carol Branham, Nevada.

he devastation that swept through to the south of us has impacted many people in the area, one of them was Carol Branham of Nevada, who grew up just a few miles from Racine, where the May 10 storm caused much damage. Branham drove through the area and took pictures of some of the damage.

I grew up on a farm four miles south of Racine between Neosho and Seneca," Branham said. "I went down there and I saw some of the damage, it was amazing what the difference was in just a short distance. One area was completely untouched and a half-a-mile away there was wreckage all over."

Branham's niece was in a pickup that was caught up in the tornado and thrown into a field.

Individuals JoAnn Jones and Linda Byerly along with Ambulance personnel prepare to leave with one of two loads of relief meant for tornado victims in Neosho. They plan to keep accepting items and take more loads down next week.

"It's hard to put into words what my feelings are about friends and family caught up in this," Branham said. "My niece was sitting in a vehicle at a stop sign between two others. She was fortunate she was in a big pickup. The tornado picked it up and flipped it over. It ended up on its wheels in a field."

Branham said she was proud of her co-workers, JoAnn Jones and Linda Byerly, who have organized an effort to send help to the affected area.

"I'm so proud of two women I work with who have demonstrated so much caring and compassion by organizing this effort," Branham said.

South Highway 86 just north of Racine.

"They have really done a great job with it and it was all their idea, they saw the need and didn't see anything happening locally so they went to work. That's the beauty of living in a small rural community. People need people and when things happen it brings that home."

Branham said it was a personal project by the women but one that could be supported by any number of agencies, including the housing authority. It's not just the workers at the housing authority who are helping out, residents are as well.

"When something like that happens it takes everyone pulling together," Branham said. "It definitely changes things in the blink of an eye. A lot of our housing residents are donating as well, sacrificially giving, thinking a lot about others. One of them said she thought about what she'd need and so that's what she donated."

Branham is proud of both her childhood home and her adopted home.

"The community down there is a strong community and they're going to come back," Branham said. "They're very much a faith community, Nevada is as well and that's a good thing. I'm glad I live in an area like this."