Frances leaves plenty to be thankful for

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, September 7, 2004

Though Hurricane Frances wasn’t the category 4 or 5 storm it could have been, the trail of devastation it ravaged across Florida will leave scars for years.

While Florida once again rebuilds and Georgia is dealing with torrential rainfall, we should be thankful the storm turned away from us.

We should also be proud of the part Alabama and Selma has played in aiding the potential victims of the storm.

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Selma has been a safe port for many families who left their homes and their lives behind while Frances approached.

Even better, we were prepared for more.

Selma’s Emergency Management Agency and Red Cross are prepared for exactly the kind of devastation that follows in the wake of a hurricane.

Had we needed to, Selma could have had 10-12 shelters open quickly to try and protect our share of the storm’s victims.

Had we been called to, there is little doubt that our little Alabama town and countless others would have opened our arms, hearts and homes to as many refugees as crossed our borders.

For all the bickering and infighting, it’s times and situations like these that allow Alabamians and Americans to show their true spirits.

In the days after Frances, our friends and neighbors in Florida and likely Georgia will call for our help as they recover from the storm.

We feel we can speak for all of Selma and the State of Alabama and say we will be proud to help in anyway we can.