The reality of a long road to recovery is becoming clear for families displaced or homeless following the powerful tornado that swept through Minneapolis on Sunday, May 22.
Standing outside the shelter located at the armory in northeast Minneapolis Lillian Scott welcomes her son Damon, 9, who has returned from a day at school.
Scott has been living at the shelter since Sunday, when the tornado touched down in what she describes as a neighborhood that now faces even more challenges.
“Already the neighborhood was bad,” says Scott. “Now it’s not safe for my son to play. There’s so much debris. It’s covered with trees. We can’t stay there. It’s just bad.”
An estimated 5,000 people are affected. Many have found temporary refuge with friends and family. While others, like Scott, have made a new home at a shelter where the Red Cross is providing cots, blankets, and hugs during a tough time.
Scott, whose top priority is finding a new home, is standing strong for her son.
“If I cry, then he’ll cry,” says Scott. “If I’m okay, then he’s okay. Eventually we’ll be taken care of. I know something good will happen.”
(Reporting by Red Cross responders Lynette Nyman and Sarah Russell)
American Red Cross Minnesota and Dakotas Region 