Being online today, it’s nearly impossible to escape the devastating images and news about the tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma yesterday. The 2-mile wide tornado blew threw the town outside Oklahoma City, taking out elementary schools, hundreds of homes and 24 lives and counting.

It’s complete and utter chaos, and I’m sitting here trying to control my anxiety over the images. I want you to know that it’s totally okay to feel scared and anxious when you see things like this, whether you’ve experienced a natural disaster or not.

Two years ago, I was in the April 27 tornado disaster in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I remember sitting in the bathroom with my roommate watching the weather. Suddenly, they showed a picture of the massive EF-4 tornado in Tuscaloosa. And then our power went out. I remember slamming the bathroom door shut and diving into the bathtub. It sounded like a freight train.

After it was over, we walked out to see sawdust and glass and pure terror. What used to be tall trees and houses across the street was now completely leveled. We ran up to the top of our parking deck to assess what had just happened, but there was nothing left. Our town was destroyed.

Eventually, the city told students to leave. The cleanup crews and professionals needed us to leave because it was dangerous for us. No one wanted to leave Tuscaloosa in shambles, but we had to. I spent the entire summer in post-traumatic stress therapy. I cried at the sight of a cloud and panicked any time it started to rain.

Seeing the images from what happened in Oklahoma is breaking my heart because I know exactly how they’re feeling. I didn’t sleep last night because I was reliving April 27. I feel scared and very anxious today, and I probably will for a few days.

In therapy, I learned that dealing with this kind of anxiety is a little different. When you try to process natural disasters, you have trouble understanding that it was out of your control. There is nothing you could have done to prevent it.

My therapist prescribed me puzzle and word games. Seriously. Anytime there’s a storm, I play some Scrabble on my phone or do a word search. Games that work your brain help take your mind off whatever’s going on because you have to focus.

Even if you’re nowhere near Oklahoma, it’s okay to be afraid and worried. It’s normal to feel scared after a natural disaster, and one of the best things you can do is to be aware and prepared. Take tornado watches and warnings seriously. If your city tells you to evacuate or get into a safe location, do it. Weather is no joke. Friends of mine joke that I’m paranoid, but I’d rather be paranoid instead of anything else.

I’m feeling quite helpless with Oklahoma that I can’t be there like I was in Tuscaloosa to help clean up and just do something. But we can still help from a distance. If you want to help, you have some options.

- Donate blood or money through the Red Cross

- Donate to Salvation Army or Oklahoma Disaster Relief

- Contact your local charities to see if they’re accepting donations of clothes and supplies, which they’ll transport for you

- Hold your own supply drive to collect everything from clothes to toiletries

Honestly, from someone who’s been there, any little bit helps. We had people from all over sending shipments of food, clothing, water, you name it.
 
Has the Oklahoma tornado affected you in any way? Are you anxious or scared? Tell us in the comments!
 

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