Building Strong Communities

Last weekend a storm came through my city with 100 mph (160kph) winds. As a local Okie, I’ve never feared tornados or bad weather, but this felt different.?

The tornado sirens screamed, and I turned on the local news station. The meteorologist said, “If you are in Brookside (my neighborhood), take cover. You will be losing power soon.” About five minutes later, the house went black.?

I sat in the hallway and heard the crashes and booms of trees falling. I glanced out the window and saw my neighbor's home in deep flames from a tree falling on live wires. I watched historic trees lifted from the ground.?

The next morning, I woke up and sprinted outside. The entire community came together to help clean up the debris and offer support. 250,000 people lost power in our area, and temperatures rose into the upper 90s (35-36 Celsius). I was out of power and network for seven days.?

It's in these moments that I rely on the strength of my community. These are the communities that best weather storms. Whether you are building an online community, work community, or community in your town - here are few things to strive for in building a healthy, strong community.

A strong community offers help. A quarter million people were out of power. Many lost their homes and vehicles. People lent their tools to clear the massive debris and homes as a refuge from the heat. The strong community effort to clear the roads and restore power was incredible. A community is not built because of what you can get from others but from what you can give to others. How does your community serve others?

A strong community asks for help. I know. I've done it. You have people that are able and want to help. But you do it all yourself. Ask for help when needed. I spent hours and hours clearing limbs. The sun was getting hot and I had a lot of debris cleanup remaining. Around this time, my family arrived. What would have taken me days took a few hours with the help of others. Are there areas that you should ask for help from your community?

A strong community communicates. This was a massive storm. The city invited a parade of 3,500 linespeople from across the country who worked nonstop to restore power. This was a massive undertaking for massive amounts of damage. In the summer heat, a week without power is a tough message to deliver. Rather than giving false hope of a few days, the electric companies, news outlets, political officials, and nearby businesses set honest expectations for recovery times. Seven days was a long time, but I was able to mentally prepare and confront the challenges thanks to timely communication. How are you communicating updates with your community?

Here’s my point, storms happen in life. Be involved in your community that helps you weather your storms and help others weather them in their lives. So, who is your community? How can you build your community to be even stronger?