000002478 001__ 2478
000002478 005__ 20240627144713.0
000002478 037__ $$aGENERAL
000002478 245__ $$aDonna Schrader : Tornado Oral History
000002478 336__ $$aOral History
000002478 592__ $$aSubmitted: May 31, 2005<br>Donna Schrader<br>Lordstown, Ohio<br><br>our lights flickered as my husband bob and i left home. going north on highland ave. in lordstown.we saw the tornado coming. we turned around in the drive that the tornado came across. we watched as the transformers by republic steel exploded taking warren's power, what a sight,the sky alive with things flying through the air and many explosions. i took the car, against my husband's advice. highland was blocked so i drove through trees and blockage on route 45 to go to work at warren general hospital. whoever could get to the hospital was assigned something to do.  we helped nursing, did admitting, transported patients.  when word of a second tornado came, we prepared for the worst again. about 2-3am, i was able to leave. i discovered my car had no gas. i drove to my blessed parents home, nick and julia kovic, a few streets from the hospital. everywhere was pitch black, eerie. i pulled in their drive to dead silence then i heard a noise close to me. the area had formed a block watch for the night. my precious parents let me take their car to go home. the volunteers, workers, even those hurt and their families were amazing.  the cooperation, caring, use of experience all played into making this disaster as smooth and efficient as possible.<br>when we saw the tornado, it appeared to be going toward our home.  as we were going south toward home, it turned and took the path of destruction it left. i couldn't get my car filled up for a couple of days. everywhere you would go, you could see the destruction in the eyes of any one i came in contact with.  BUT, also, you could hear the need to help. many, many volunteers are to be given a special star for that time.<br>that time is something etched in memory, the good, bad, ugly of it but most important, the caring, help, volunteerism formed that day.
000002478 650__ $$aDonna Schrader
000002478 650__ $$aLordstown, Ohio
000002478 650__ $$aJulia Kovic
000002478 650__ $$aNick Kovic
000002478 650__ $$aWarren General Hospital
000002478 980__ $$aTornado Memory Project