On the night of May 6, 2003 Massac County, Illinois was hit by a devastating F4 Tornado.  The tornado took two 
lives and injured dozens.

In the aftermath of the storm came stories of heroes, of people helping their neighbors, of a community pulling together.


This is the story through the eyes of my family.

 

MSN Messenger Log of Deena and myself as the tornado hit Massac County - CLICK HERE

Radar Image of the Tornado as it hits Massac County - CLICK HERE
Radar Image 4 Panel Showing The Storm Hitting  CLICK HERE
Additional Radar Images From The NWS Office in Paducah, Kentucky  CLICK HERE

Dione's Email The Next Morning - CLICK HERE

John Logeman's Email The Next Day - CLICK HERE

Email From My Dad and Deb - The Day After - A Poem and Story That He Found  CLICK HERE


First Images Come In From Massac County Off The Associated Press Wire - CLICK HERE

Some additional photos taken by the National Weather Service Office in Paducah, Kentucky

NWS Massac Area Damage Photos 1
NWS Massac Area Damage Photos 2
NWS Aerial Photos

May 06, 2003 - The National Weather Service Storm Assessment  CLICK HERE

Map Of The Tornadoes Path CLICK HERE  (Provided by the NWS Office in Paducah, Kentucky)

The Massac County Tornado was determined to be a "WEDGE TORNADO"  CLICK HERE

THE OUTBREAK - United States Map Showing All The Reports Of Severe Weather On
May 6, 2003.  Red Dots Indicate Tornadoes.  CLICK HERE

Letter sent to Cal Sisto (Chief Meteorologist at WPSD TV 6) thanking him for his
amazing coverage of the storm  CLICK HERE

Dione and Jeremy helped their friends clean up in Pope County, she took these photos of some of the damage

Pope County, Illinois Photo 1  CLICK HERE
Pope County, Illinois Photo 2  CLICK HERE
Pope County, Illinois Photo 3  CLICK HERE


Letter From Jena and Dylan a few days after the tornado destroyed or nearly destroyed her sister in-laws mom
and Jena's sisters home, brothers home, and her parents home.  CLICK HERE

Jena's Photographs of her families damage 1  CLICK HERE
Jena's Photographs of her families damage 2  CLICK HERE
Jena's dad in the newspaper CLICK HERE
Dylan and Lacey At The Farm CLICK HERE

Aeriel Photograph I took of the Mermet Lake Area  CLICK HERE

Damage all around this Church, but the Church made it through the storm!  CLICK HERE

Photo that shows how wide the tornado was  CLICK HERE

Tracy Leonard has sent me her families story about their experience with the tornado  CLICK HERE

THE TEDDY BEAR PROJECT

The Teddy Bear Project -  Photos of the Bears and the story.  CLICK HERE
Thank you letter from a child CLICK HERE
Truck arrives with 100 boxes of Russ Bears  CLICK HERE
Children with teddy bears  CLICK HERE
Boy with his bear  CLICK HERE
Front Page of the Metropolis Planet (about the bears)  CLICK HERE

*NEW* Thank you letter sent to Russ Bears  CLICK HERE

The Project Wall in My Room  CLICK HERE

Ongoing assistance...right now we are working through some people in Metropolis to help some of those that we went
to school with or know from my past work at the Head Start Center in Joppa.  I will try to add more to this page as I
have time.

Each person that we help will receive this letter and story  CLICK HERE


We are currently trying to get 800-1000 gallons of paint down to Massac County from Minnesota.  The paint has been donated to us by a business owner up there.  Right now we are in need of a truck to bring it down here.

*NEW*  UPDATE

The paint has arrived!  Not sure exactly of all the details...however my understanding is that there is around 1800 GALLONS of paint!  Enough paint to paint the whole town!  I am not sure how it got down here but I am sure it will be greatly appreciated and put to good use!!!

We are in the process of helping Danny Kohn - the 8 year old boy - who lost his father.  If anyone has any nice books, toys and the like for his age please email me and I will get them to him or help you get them to him.  

The computer that we have ordered for Danny should arrive tomorrow - July 8th!  If I get a chance to take a few photographs I will do that.  

*NEW*-------update---------

The computer arrived for Danny and we got him all hooked up and ready to go :)  He loves it!  We installed several games...Sim City 3000 and another "build a civilization" type game. 

Danny and his computer

Danny and his computer

Special thank you to David Crouch for helping us get the computer!

---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------

Special THANK YOU to the Paducah, Kentucky, National Weather Service Office.  Their accurate and timely
warnings saved MANY LIVES!  CLICK HERE FOR THE NEWS HOMEPAGE

---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------

Special Thank You to David Crouch who has spent a lot of time on the phone helping with the Bear Project and other things that are going on.  Also thank you to Jena and Kay for the information they have sent me, along with my family for gathering  newspapers and photographs!

In The Spirit Of Pay It Forward