Minnesotains...Please check in: 35W bridge disaster

[valkry]

<p>I'm sure a good portion of you will have heard or being hearing shortly that we had a disaster yesterday in Minneaoplis. A major hwy bridge calapsed during evening rush hr traffic. This bridge on Hwy 35W crosses the Mississippi. </p><p>Having worried about my EQ family during 9/11 and the London bombing, I just wanted to post to prevent anyone having to worry about me. </p><p>If the other 'Sotians could say hello, I'd appriciate it....I'm worrying for you.</p><p>I've already made it know that I'm a Believer, so I will ask everyon to pray for the injured, the families and the rescue personnel. At 6AM they are just about to restart recovery efforts for the 20 or so missing people. Even this far north, the Mississippi is a deep powerful river, so they don't expect any more survivers, but hopefully they can find all the bodies, so the families can get that measure of peace.</p>

[Tain]

<p>I saw that in the paper this morning!</p><p>Glad you're ok Valk!  *hug*</p>

[Rinio]

hey, glad you arent hurt and all... but why is this in traveler's tales? Shouldn't it be in NGD?

[Serinde]

I thought the portion of the bridge that collapsed, did so over dry land?  I think if it had collapsed over water, the death toll would be much more devastating than it is...  It is a shame that the bridge was allowed to get to this point of disrepair!!

[SilverclawII]

<cite>RinionZ wrote:</cite><blockquote>hey, glad you arent hurt and all... but why is this in traveler's tales? Shouldn't it be in NGD?</blockquote><p> valkry is a frequent poster, and a writer here.  I think some forums have their own mini-community, including the Traveler's Tales.  Some community members (including myself) are a bit too lazy to go to any other forum thread, and may not recognize someone we "know" even if they did post there.  So posting where you are most likely to be seen by others that would be worried about you seems to me to be the most logical practice.</p><p>And hey, you should check out the general horseplay thread if you're looking for something out of topic.  Biggest thread here, and the majority doesn't seem to have anything in common with a Traveler Tale's thread.  However, I think it's a great idea to go for general, or out of the blue, discussion and keep the great works here moderately clean.</p><p>BTW, glad you're alright there, valkry.  Thanks for letting us know.</p>

[Tain]

Feta@Crushbone wrote: <blockquote>I thought the portion of the bridge that collapsed, did so over dry land?  I think if it had collapsed over water, the death toll would be much more devastating than it is...  </blockquote> A portion of it actually fell into the river.  Pretty much the whole bridge collapsed, at least one direction of it.

[Serinde]

Wow, youre right... dig a bit more digging around... all the footage I'd seen so far was of the portion by the riverbank... or the clip from that security cam... Heres some footage of the whole bridge- <a href="http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_213191448.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://wcco.com/topstories/local_st..._213191448.html</a>

[valkry]

Feta@Crushbone wrote: <blockquote>I thought the portion of the bridge that collapsed, did so over dry land?  I think if it had collapsed over water, the death toll would be much more devastating than it is...  It is a shame that the bridge was allowed to get to this point of disrepair!! </blockquote><p> Actually, the bridge did collapse partly in the water. This area of the river is used for barge traffic, so it is very likely that 20 or so missing people were is cars in the mid-span and fell in the deeper, swifter part of the river. When I checked this morning, death toll was 7-10, but the recovery portion of the rescue had to be stopped till daylight (safety of the resecuers). I expect the toll will rise to almost 30 if they can find/recover the missing cars/people.</p><p>I'm actually very relieved (in a totally selfish way). A few of you know that my MTFL is a Haz-Mat spill responder, but he is on vacation this week, camping in the Canadian Boundry Waters (and out of communication). The news footage I saw this morning showed a partially crushed & leaking railroad car under part of the span. While the reporter said they weren't letting the spill crews in the area (the area is too unstable now), I'm so relievd that he won't have to be there (at least not during the first couple days).</p><p>To give some credit to my adopted home state, the bridge had been inspected in '05 & '06, and a crew was making non-structral repairs (guard-rails) at the time, so I wouldn't say it was in disrepair. Unfortunately bridges (and buildings) can be subject to odd physics...It may be a case of the harmonics from the trucks/cars and the wind hitting just the wrong frequency. At one time, armies were not allowed to 'march' across bridges. There was concern that because they marched in step, the collective footfalls could hit the wrong frequency & cause the bridge to collapse.</p>

[niko_teen]

<cite>RinionZ wrote:</cite><blockquote>hey, glad you arent hurt and all... but why is this in traveler's tales? Shouldn't it be in NGD?</blockquote> Eh travler's tales has changed over the last few years. It's not jsut a bored to place stories but a comunity.

[Ekuthh]

Took the words right out of my mouth, Silverclaw. <img src="/smilies/e8a506dc4ad763aca51bec4ca7dc8560.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[valkry]

Was hoping Velissa and some of my other neighbors would have a chance to check in too. I did think about posting in NGD, as that was were I found some info about my British guildies when London was bombed. Then I decided to follow the advice I had just given my kids when we went to the local amusement park... <span style="color: #009966">If you are lost... STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE. <span style="color: #00ff33"><b>We will look for you in the place we last saw you<span style="color: #ffffcc"> </span></b><span style="color: #ffffcc">so here I am, where people would expect to find me.  Thank you Silver, you explained my instincts wonderfully. Traveler's is my HOME thread.</span></span></span>

[Amethest]

glad you let us know your okay val...will be keeping the families in our thoughts and prayers...hugs

[Ekuthh]

<p>And obviously, Valk, I'm glad you are alright.  </p><p>I just assumed I had said so previously, when it struck me I hadn't.</p>

[Jnom]

<p>Glad you're ok Val. The city must be grieving right now, and my thoughts go out to all those involved and their families as well.</p><p>This was kind of weird for me in a shallow kind of way...I had just watched The Mothman Prophecies last week... and the pictures from the real thing this week was so strangely similar.</p><p>I'm not as prolific in these threads as most of you guys, but just wanted to add my thoughts and condolences to the community's for you and those around you, Val.</p>

[valkry]

I think grief will hit us more in the future, when they start to recover the bodies still trapped in cars under concrete/water. For now, it's mostly still shock. I actually flashed back to living near Kansas City in the early '80s, the Hyatt Regency hotel had a catwalk that collapsed onto a lower catwalk & both onto the floor during a dance. I remember disbelief and shock, then grief as that area tried to deal with the deaths and how something like that could happen. I am very proud of my neighbors, even before the rescue personnel made it to the scene, many citizens stopped to help. The police even said they couldn't have saved as many as they did without the regular folks helping. I'm sure that is part of the reason that none of the 60ish children on the field-trip bus died. I'm also really pleased that as of 10AM, I couldn't get an appointment to give blood for at least a week and a half...they were already full. I was reminded about how many people there are, who's lives we touch, even in the smallest ways. I've got to talk or exchange e-mails with quite a few of them today, and I know my co-workers have seen the same thing (my boss's wife had about 100+ calls/emails last night). Anyway, as sad as I am for all those who were injured or killed, and their families... it really was nice to be reminded that Humans (and in our case... Elves, Gnomes, Kerra, etc) can be wonderfully caring and concerned for the other people around them. I've mentioned before I support the Red Cross. While I may not always agree w/ some of the political issues around the organization, I would like to ask anyone who wants to...please help them out...blood, money, time... they can use it and they often are there when no one else is. I know emotionally I could never do what they are doing, manning up a center for the families to go while they wait for news, but I thank God they can do it. /hugs for you guys. With MTFL not having cell access camping, I really could have just driven myself nuts today... It really helped to have the virtual hugs. Thank you so much.

[Velissa]

<cite>valkry wrote:</cite><blockquote>Was hoping Velissa and some of my other neighbors would have a chance to check in too.  <span style="color: #009966"><span style="color: #00ff33"><span style="color: #ffffcc"> Thank you Silver, you explained my instincts wonderfully. Traveler's is my HOME thread.</span></span></span> </blockquote><p>First off, thank you for your concern.  </p><p>Sorry I have been absent as of late.  A couple a months ago I had a change in Job status. (read LAID OFF)  Now I am somewhat of a stay at home Mom with 2 little girls that keep me very busy and leave very little time for browsing the forums.   The previous job allowed me time to cruise the boards in between tasks.  The little ones do not leave me time "between tasks", and the time I do get I have been spending in game.  </p><p>So I would like to appoligise to everyone for my absense and to again thank you all for your concern.  </p><p>I checked my yahoo mail account today and found an e-mail from one of the authors here, and I would like to especially thank that person for leading me back to the wonderful community that is the "Traveler's Tales" forum. </p>

[valkry]

<p>Glad you are safe, hon.</p><p>I'll keep you in my thought for the career-issues. I had the same thing happen about 3 yrs ago... I don't think people realize how different life can be if you are home w/ little ones, till they have tried it. (Masybe my old boss would yell at me, but at least he would yell at me in  English...lil ones just screamed & you have to guess what they needed.)</p>

[SilverclawII]

<p>Likewise glad to see another author safe and sound.  Good luck with the new career.  Got laid off myself once, when I was still in my teens, was a good job, too.  They just didn't have enough production for me to stay.  Also finding someone who can do your job and <i>so</i> much more (the incoming guy had a degree, I hadn't even attended college, yet.) maks another good reason.</p><p>Heheh, and I agree.  I don't have kids myself, <b>YET!</b>, but I still agree.  I believe the change in my own life will be for the better.  I LOVE kids! <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> I'll take them screaming, crying, diaper-changing, "make my hairs turn gray", and all.  Having a child call, or scream, to me "Daddy!" I think will make it all it.</p><p>I just need to get married and find a place of my own. <img src="/smilies/2786c5c8e1a8be796fb2f726cca5a0fe.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> </p>