Opinion : Ugh

There are times that I don't even know what to say. Today is one of them. For those that know me, you know that words are usually something I don't have trouble finding.

As I drove through Benton County yesterday, I was shocked at the damage I saw. The further south I went the further my heart sank. The damage is devastating.

Today I pulled into the gas station to see cars from Johnson and Linn County. I talked to a gal that was here from Blairstown. "It's just been flattened down there. We had to come here to get gas to run our generator and chainsaws. Houses all over the area have been destroyed," she said.

As I drove past the power plant I thought I'd stop and see what the status was there. We're generating power for Vinton now and crews are still hard at work with yet a list of stops they need to make.

I drove past the gas stations again. Lines were out in the road, at some places, and people are draining the tanks fast. At this writing, some tanks are now empty, spread the word that people need to go to Waterloo for gas.

This is probably one of the worst disasters Vinton and Benton County has seen, and we've seen disasters. While Vinton looks rough, pictures I've seen from other parts of the county are devastating.

Stay home again, if you can. Help your neighbor if you can.

But all I have to say is ugh...