Palm Sunday Weekend Storms Across The Nation Including Fort Bragg & Camp Lejeune, NC

I was driving for several hours yesterday but on one pit stop I checked my email and found one from a Soldier who was a medevac crew member during OEF VIII.  He and his crew members spent countless days up and down those dangerous valleys as they rescued and recovered our beloved wounded and heroes.  His email said:

"Hello, I am in the Emergency Ops Center, quick email to let you know we are OK, Fayetteville and Bragg got hit with a tornado today, and we will be without power for at least a while (maybe days)

We are OK,

No Power, No email, No info- I am at work"
 
I knew that storms that had caused so much devastation and loss of life in OK, AR, MS and AL were moving east but I wasn't listening to any updates.  It was a relief to know that he was OK especially since I hadn't had the opportunity to hear/read about the tornadoes that had hit the Carolinas including both Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune.  I was grateful that he cared enough and was thoughtful enough to let us know he was OK.
 
FORT BRAGG, NC area:
 
From fayobserver dot com (Saturday April 16th edition - more at the link):
 
"Fort Bragg closed tonight to all but key and essential personnel and will remain closed Sunday, Army officials said.
 
Fort Bragg was affected by severe weather with high winds on April 16, causing damage to multiple structures and cutting power to the entire installation," a statement released late today said. "There are no reports of loss of life or significant injuries on post."
 
From fayobserver dot com (Sunday April 17th edition - MUCH more at link):
 

Path of tornado through Fayetteville, NC

 
"One person died and at least 85 were injured in Cumberland County when a tornado ripped through a wide swath of Fayetteville on Saturday afternoon.
 
In Cumberland County, the damage spanned about eight to 10 miles, from North Reilly Road to north Ramsey Street. In some places, entire neighborhoods were wiped out. (Emphasis by the blogger) The city and Cumberland County declared states of emergency.
 
Shortly after the tornado struck, people wandered aimlessly along Yadkin Road, stepping over downed power lines and smashed transformers. A silver van came to rest on a tree, suspended about 10 feet off the ground. A semi-trailer sat on its side, a tree lying across it."
 
CAMP LEJEUNE, NC area
 
From jdnews dot com (Thank you to Jonn Lylea at This Ain't Hell for the link that has much more information than the snipets that follow):
 
"Military officials said base commander Col. Daniel Lecce had gone to base housing around 10 p.m. to inspect the extent of the damage left by the tornado. At least a dozen houses aboard Tarawa Terrace II were believed affected by the event, and possibly as many as 30, officials said.
 
Tim Strickland, spokesman for Onslow Memorial Hospital, said about 30 trauma victims had been received at the hospital by 10:30 p.m. as a result of the storm. Strickland said that number was expected to rise as people trapped in their homes were freed. (Emphasis by the blogger)
 
An eyewitness said he observed extensive damage to at least eight, and possibly up to 15, houses in the Piney Green area. He described the homes as “leveled.”
 
People at the scene confirmed multiple injuries, but there was no word on any possible fatalities.

The area was described as a “debris field,” with uprooted trees, a transformer and power lines in the road, and branches and pieces of shattered homes scattered about."
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Both Fort Bragg (site is not operational right now) and Camp Lejeune have troops deployed right now.  I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to be overseas and wonder how your family, friends and home are.  Prayers to all of those affected across the nation (and deployed around the globe) with homes and families from Oklahoma to the Carolinas - especially those who lost loved ones. Additional prayers of thankfulness that with the intensisty and severity of these storms there was not more loss of life.