Once again a strong sense a community shows in St. Louis. Nearly two-thirds of the Metro area went black last week during the hottest week of the year as a storm rolled through St. Louis. It was a routine day with air-conditioners humming at top speed and the chance of a thunderstorm. There is always a chance of a thunderstorm in the Midwest. Once formed it gained intensity over St. Louis creating unexpected consequences.
I think most would agree that the community pulled together. There were no riots, only a few reported cases of looting, and some areas reporting lower criminal activity. People were uptight, moving with a purpose such as to get ice before it was sold out, or to wait for the new generator to be unloaded from the truck, but there was a sense of community even under sweltering conditions.
Cooling centers were operational almost immediately, police and fire departments engaged immediately, residents were checking on their elderly neighbors and taking them in, roads were being cleared, necessary evacuations were orderly, and some of these residents are still displaced a week later.
It’s a shame there wasn’t more of a focus by the national media on how St. Louis residents handled this disaster. It would have been a good example not just for the country but for the world.
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