Tornadoes Hit Home

For some Penn students, tornadoes are not just breaking news or an excuse to get annoyed at Obama. To rising Wharton junior Scott Dzialo, tornadoes meant one thing: destruction. The above image is a shot of his father's distribution center for Vanity Fair Corporation in Hackleburg, Alabama—or, rather, what's left of it.

Penn kids have always responded remarkably to crisis. Recent efforts to help in Japan and Haiti have proven that. But sometimes we, and the rest of our country, do less for home turf disasters. Maybe it's because there's no threat of a nuclear meltdown or the collapse of an entire country. Or maybe we put too much trust in FEMA. Whatever the case, the fact remains that in the South and Midwest there are people suffering. Some of our very own have been affected.

What can we do? Visit the Red Cross website for several options. If you're in a hurry, text "REDCROSS" to 90999 for a instant $10 donation. If you can't give financially, there's a massive need for blood donations. Philly donation centers are here; New York's can be found here and you can Google for any other place fairly easily.

More information about Hackleburg and the tornadoes in general after the jump. And if you're a Penn student who has been affected by the tornadoes or know someone who has, please let us know! We want to get involved.

According to Scott,

Those photos were taken yesterday in Hackleburg, AL. The damage is what remains from the April tornados (report can be found here). The facility that was destroyed was a Distribution Center for Vanity Fair Corporation primarily used for Jeanswear. The building itself covered 10 acres and was 400,000+ square feet. According to those who were trapped in the building when the tornado came (and managed to survive), the building completely collapsed in less than 10 seconds. Of course, the photos from yesterday show what remains after nearly a month of clean up; imagine how bad it must have been the day after the tornados...Relief efforts are still on going, and the town of Hackleburg, which relies almost solely on work through VF Corp., is desperately trying to get back on its feet.

"The picture of the truck actually shows a massive truck that was sliced in two by the storm. Most of the trucks were thrown through the air 300-400 yards."

According to the Washington Post, 78 people died on April 27 between Hackleburg, AL and Phil Campbell, AL. On May 22, 116 people died in the tornados in Joplin, MO. This is more than just damage to homes and businesses; entire towns are being destroyed and people's lives are being lost.

Eight percent of the class of 2014 came from states in the "Tornado Alley" region; we're not good at math but we figure that's probably applicable to all undergrads. Alabama is not even in the traditional "Tornado Alley" area. This is something that affects our Penn bubble. We strongly urge you to help.