09/04/2026
💔🌪️ THIS IS WHAT TORNADO RECOVERY FEELS LIKE. 🌪️💔
Look around this morning.
Another storm rolled through. Tarps that were finally secured over damaged roofs were ripped loose again. Tents went flying. Supplies were scattered. Temporary repairs were damaged. Homes that were finally protected are exposed again.
For some families, this morning feels like taking ten steps backward after spending more than a month fighting to move forward.
And now the phones are ringing again.
But there is something I really need people to remember: many of the contractors who dropped everything to help immediately after the tornado have had to go back to work.
They couldn’t put their businesses, employees, existing customers and families on hold forever.
For weeks, many of them worked their normal jobs and then came here. They worked evenings and weekends. They squeezed tornado victims between already scheduled jobs. They donated labor, equipment and materials. They climbed roofs, cut trees, secured tarps, repaired fences and answered calls when they were already exhausted.
Some looked at families who had lost everything and asked, “What can we do to help?”
And then they did.
But eventually, they had to return to the jobs that pay their employees and keep their businesses running.
So when another storm comes through and suddenly dozens of families need help again, those same contractors cannot necessarily drop everything and immediately come back.
That doesn’t mean they stopped caring.
It doesn’t mean they forgot about you.
It doesn’t mean your situation isn’t important.
It means they are human.
There are only so many contractors. Only so many crews. Only so many trucks. Only so many hours in a day.
And many of the people we are calling today have already given this community far more than anyone had the right to expect from them.
Yes, we have seen the ugly side of disaster recovery too. We’ve seen outrageous estimates, predatory behavior and people who looked at our devastation and saw dollar signs.
But please don’t let those people erase the incredible contractors who have quietly shown up for this community since July 27.
The ones who charged fairly when they could have taken advantage.
The ones who donated materials.
The ones who gave up evenings with their families.
The ones who answered their phones after hours.
The ones who saw a devastated homeowner as a person instead of a paycheck.
Those are the people we need to remember today.
If your tarp came off or you have additional damage, absolutely reach out for help. But understand that the person you’re calling may be standing on someone else’s roof, working their regular job, trying to keep their own business afloat or wondering how they can possibly fit one more family into their day.
So while we wait, let’s help carry some of this ourselves.
Check on your neighbors. Help pick up a tent. Move supplies. Help secure something if you can do so safely. Bring a crew lunch. Lend equipment. Make a phone call for someone who is overwhelmed.
Ask “How can I help?” before asking “Why hasn’t someone helped me yet?”
Because recovery doesn’t end when the contractors have to go back to work.
The tornado may have happened July 27, but for the families living in its path, the disaster is still happening.
And this morning, some of them woke up feeling like they were right back at day one.
To every contractor who gave up your time, evenings, weekends, equipment, materials and energy to help our community: we see you. We appreciate you. And we haven’t forgotten what you’ve done.
Our homeowners are tired. Our volunteers are tired. Our contractors are tired.
But we’re still here.
So we’ll pick up the tents. We’ll put the tarps back on. We’ll check on our neighbors. We’ll keep rebuilding.
And we’ll do it together. ❤️🩹🌪️
