Community at its best in disaster response

We want to thank everyone who has come together in the Dexter community this week to help in the wake of last week’s EF-2 tornado.

It was the first EF-2 July tornado for the region in 50 years.

But volunteer groups like Catholic Charities and John 3:16 have volunteered to help with cleanup. Local residents have shown up with food donations for workers. Area churches opened their doors as cooling centers during power outages.

And city and county officials have stepped up to help coordinate all of these efforts.

Tragedy and disaster always help highlight the best in our friends and neighbors, because people come together in ways they may not have thought of only hours before.

It’s also important to remember that being ready to respond to an incident like this doesn’t happen with just a few hours or days of preparation. It comes from the regular work done by city, county and state officials, and the work volunteer groups do year-round to be ready when needed.

We want to thank everyone who has stepped up, either to help prepare for a tragedy they hoped never arrived, or in the days since July 10. The recovery that is underway could not have been achieved without every single contribution, both seen and unseen.

Thank you.

— Daily American Republic