Moore Tornado

            On May 20, 2013 at 2:56 p.m. Central Time, an EF5 Tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, which is a suburb of Oklahoma City. EF5 is the rating that the Enhanced Fujita scale gave the tornado, and it is the most damaging rating on the scale. This tornado, otherwise known as the Moore Tornado, killed 24 people, injured 377, caused a $2 billion loss in damages, and worried millions across the United States. It was a very sad experience as many lost property, possessions, and loved ones. It was tough.

            But something matters more than the tornado; more than the damages; more than the deaths. Something matters more than all of the devastation, and that is this: how everyone responded. Really, the only action that you can take after something happens is response. How you respond determines how much you let your life be affected, how other people view the degree of devastation, and how easy or hard it is for you to live your life. For these reasons, response matters a lot more than the actual crisis.

On May 20, 2013, the Moore Tornado struck the Oklahoma
City area.

            This, my friends, is the reason for crisis. Crisis brings opportunity for response. Response determines the happiness of your life; therefore, crisis brings opportunity for greater happiness. However, it also brings opportunity for greater sadness and more devastation. It all depends on how you respond. What, truly, is the significance of response? It is happiness. If happiness isn’t significant, then nothing is.

            Many people die from crises, but usually, more people grow. This is why death and destruction are so vital to human life. It is such an interesting world; the world we live in. In order to grow and become better; in order to win and succeed in life, you must first be a pushed-down failure. Without disasters, the human race would be a lot worse than it now is, and it is that paradox that has driven us on for thousands of years. Where would we be without failure or crisis? We would be nowhere. This phenomenon was kicked off by Adam’s fall, and it is undoubtedly a very interesting one.

            So, now I’ll talk about what is really significant about the 2013 Moore Tornado: the response and relief efforts. Many, many people and organizations came together to help the people that were affected by this disaster. Companies, relief committees, and even many celebrities donated a lot of money in order to rebuild Moore. Nine days after the tornado, a concert was held in Oklahoma City to raise money for the cause. Citizens and residents came together to work and rebuild their city. In order to mitigate, local governments passed laws to make buildings and other places safer, in case the disaster was ever to happen again. A documentary was aired on television that informed people about what happened and how they could be prepared. Many other people and organizations helped out as well.     

            This is all that matters. Response is more rewarding than crises are unrewarding. If we don’t respond well to bad circumstances, then those bad circumstances have no purpose, and our lives have no purpose. The only way to grow is to be stepped on. If humans can’t accept being stepped on and learn from it, then they have no reason to live. Crises are hard, but overall, they bring purpose into this world. And that is why the 2013 Moore Tornado came.