Our thanks to local emergency crews

By: Editorial Board

Posted: 6/17/08

Our View
Situation:	The recent devastating storms are passing as each day goes by, but they're still fresh in the minds of Coles County residents.
Stance:	Emergency crews and citizens alike jumped into action and helped their own neighbors. We commend their brave actions.

June rains have brought tragic floods to the region and more dismay is yet to come. Times are bad when Charleston residents have to drive boats to their homes.

Other areas have been hit harder than here, and emergency response crews throughout the state need to be commended.

The June 5 rescue attempt of Mattoon resident Ralph Idleman by nearly a dozen different city, county and state emergency agencies was commendable, despite being unable to save his life.

Sometimes, the current is too strong. However, the effort and resourcefulness of area residents and emergency crews alike proved that when the time comes, help is on the way.

Compounding the problems caused by the storms was the tornado that touched down outside of Lerna on June 6 and affected residents when it tore through town.

The Red Cross' response time was short and their services were a welcome source of relief to those who were struck by the sudden storm.

Lately, there's been a lot of news about natural disasters, which are never in our own back yard. It seems that we're immune or at least lucky enough to dodge them for what seems like forever.

That's not the case, as we were reminded recently. It's reassuring to know that when these unforeseeable events occur, we're in good hands.

Our hats go off to anybody who assisted in any way, shape or form. Knowing that there are individuals nearby who are willing to help in times of need helps us rest easier.

Sen. Dick Durbin came to Coles County over the weekend and personally surveyed local areas that suffered damage from last week's storms. He is back in Washington D.C. trying to secure funding to aid area residents.

Even the governor recognized the need of area residents.

"The state has been working closely with local emergency management officials to assess their needs for assistance," Rod Blagojevich said last week.

After all the harsh accusations of Blagojevich for his irresponsible fiscal spending, he did the right thing this week. He cut through the red tape.

Our sympathies go out to those who experienced tragedy from an unlikely source, within Illinois and beyond our borders.

The University of Iowa has been closed due to rising floodwater creeping into campus buildings and scholarly activities have been disrupted. Eastern's classes were not cancelled or suspended.

Iowa's campus museum had to be evacuated to preserve priceless artifacts for future learning opportunities. Eastern only suffered split tree limbs and trunks. Our campus was fortunate compared to fellow institutions of higher education.

We can only imagine the chaos or overwhelming confusion that would rip through this campus if such a natural disaster occurred during the Fall or Spring terms when the campus is full.

Leaders of Eastern's student body banded together to collect donations for students at Union University who lost two-thirds of their residence halls on campus after a Feb. 5 tornado ripped through Jackson, Tenn.

After several tornados roamed the region, 55 people lost their lives. However, Union University only lost materials and Eastern was there for them with donations.

There's no doubt that such generosity would be present in Charleston, and neighboring communities, during major catastrophes. The resulting flooding didn't result in major casualties, but Eastern students would be there to help during any time of year.

Though the recent storms are relatively minor in comparison to other world-wide catastrophes that have been plaguing people recently, it is evident that people care. Thank you.