It is unusual in a Georgia winter; a warm spell occurs that makes conditions favorable for a tornado, but on January 30, 2013 one did. At 10:59 A.M., a tornado warning was issued that included Adairsville. 20 mins later an EF3 tornado touched down in the North Georgia city of Adairsville with winds in excess of 160 mph. Homes were totally destroyed, business facades were peeled open like a banana, and cars along with 18 wheelers were flipped over and turned upside down.
The devastation that happens in just a few minutes can take months and even years to fully recover from. The people of Joplin, MO know this all to well. There are homes that have not been rebuilt and businesses that still don't have any tenants. In all of the devastation, residents still have a hope and a faith to rebuild, make things better and learn from this incident. Walter Hawkins penned a song that says 'Thank You'. In this song it mentioned that 'tragedies are a common place'. In this generation we are seeing earthquakes where there have been none and random weather patterns.
The King James version of the Bible defines faith as 'the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen'. Christians in the time of adversity have to rely on faith and believe that things are going to be better and that there is a reason for everything. After a forest fire, the vegetation always seems to grow back greener than before. The residents of Adairsville are in the process of repairing their homes and lives. According to the Rome News-Tribune, Adairsville will not be eligible for FEMA assistance because the uninsured damage to the city does not meet the 12 million dollar guideline. Nevertheless, the city is getting help from hundreds of volunteers from the Red Cross and various churches in and out of the state of Georgia, regardless of their religious beliefs. Just as Joplin, MO and several states hit by tornadoes have rebuilt and become stronger so will Adairsville, GA.
There is something about tragedy that puts your wants and needs into perspective.
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