MN people - please check in! | Autism PDD
I'm not in MN now, but I did live there and drove on the 35W bridge many times. My heart goes out to anyone missing a loved one tonight, or anyone suffering emotionally with this disaster right now. I lived in Minneapolis at the time of 911 and that really hurt me mentally even though I was not close to anyone involved. I will pray for anyone suffering tonight.
I heard about it this morning. Obviously I live in Norway, but my family lives in the Twin Cities, and we were on vacation there in June/July. I crossed that bridge myself just a couple weeks ago on the way to the airport! It's so scary.
As far as I know, no one we know was on that bridge. I definitely thought of you and the other forum members from Minnesota, so I'm glad you started this topic.
My heart goes out to the victims.
We are fine. All of our family has been frantic calling to see if we were ok. How scary for those children that were on the school bus.
Sending many PT to the families of those who were on the bridge
Please MN folks on our board - check in and let us know you are safe
I'm here in Mpls. and thank God we wern't there. I haven't heard of anyone I know either, but my son and I have been praying all night and morning. It is so unreal, I woke up this morning trying to belive it! WE travle that stretch of road ALOT!! I knew there was a reason I've been scared of bridges. My heart is heavy today!Prayers to all the families and friends affected by this:) Such a horrific site to see!
My BIL lives VERY near the bridge on the St Paul side, and I have NOT heard from him, yet ... very concerned.We used to live in Minneapolis and most of our friends and family arethere. Immedeate family is accounted for but a husband of my MIL's
friend is amongst those missing. They have two small children.
DP used to work as an engineer for the department of transportation
(thankfully not involved with that particular bridge) but we are getting lots
of calls about what has happend. Very very sad.
Linda - I hope you hear from BIL soon. Let us know. We have been having
a very hard time getting throuh to people because so many cellphone
lines are overloaded and down.Here and safe, thank you to everyone for all of the good thoughts and prayers. Getting info on News here in CO. This is horrible
. It should of not happenend! The bridge has been on the list since 2005 by Fed's. I wonder if it was so old it just snapped bec it could not handle to weight? We'll know in 3-6 months. After they bring the pro's in
Most bridges are past the timespan they were designed to last for. The
annual budget needed to maintain the bridges in the United States is 9+
Billion. The annual budget allocated is 2 Billion. When politicians run for
office promising to lower taxes, the money has to be taken somewhere.
Infrastructure maintainance has been one of those places where budgets
have been cut drastically. Only you don't know it until things fall apart.
The Minneapolis bridge is no exeption from any other bridge out there. I
think the safety-net in this country is completly threadbare: we are not
prepared for major disasters (see New Orleans), we don't maintain what
we have. The healthcare system is falling apart as well.
I really wish that politicians could focus on the long term instead of just
making it through the next election and letting system after system run
on fumes.Amen Micki!
Micki and Linda - keep us posted about family and friends of yours. I hope everyone is okay!
Someone said that we are like a big family here - and that's how I feel. That's why I started the post! I can't remember how many we have from Minnesota, but I know it was several. Hope more people check in!
Glad ya'll and your family and friends are okay. And does anybody else here want to go find that school bus driver and give him or her a giant kiss on the forehead?
I don't know how intensely s/he had to slam those brakes, watch for other careening vehicles, and not lose control of the bus, but man! If the driver were a tiny bit slower in reflexes, that bus would've been smashed between those two sections.
When the levees here in New Orleans broke - a day or so AFTER the hurricane came through, it was the same sort of feeling. Man-made failure meant 1000 dead here. I am so grateful that the loss of life is not worse up the Mississippi!
Foxl - Linda - what's up? Worrying us about your BIL. Please write.
My brother works in Minneapolis and drives on this bridge twice each day. The day of the collapse, he left work at 6:00 pm. The collapse occurred at 6:08. He missed it by max 10 minutes. I'm glad we didn't know this until hours after the fact, when he was already present and accounted for.
Keep checking in, folks.
foxl and Micki - any news yet?Yes, please keep us updated! I am praying for your family and friends
safety.
Having lived through a few disasters myself, both trying to get in touch with
people to let them know I'm okay, and trying to get through to relatives.
(yes, it's sunny here in CA, but it's also shakes and catches fire more than
most states)
My heart goes out to all of you.
I had to call my BIL to reach him ... late yesterday! He is fine, everyone else in my other BIL's family is fine.
Bryan crosses that bridge, as a SCHOOL BUS DRIVER, 3 - 4 times, per day!
Now they are saying only 30 people are known missing? Not that it is so few, but I expected > 100 from all reports. I hope it is even fewer than they think ...
Glad to hear he is okay!Linda, I'm glad so to hear that your BIL turned up.My MIL called crying last night. Her friend's husband was found dead.
They showed his picture on CNN last night. They have to small children.Oh, no, Micki, how tragic!Omigosh - I am SO incredibly sorry. How devastating for everyone. I will send prayers and thoughts their way. snoopywoman, Thanks for the update. I have been watching this on the news tonight, What a horrible thing. I hope everyone from Minnesota checks in tonight. Am glad to hear your family was not on the bridge. Give your kids an extra kiss tonight. Very scary.
We are fine in Minnesota and I know there are several of us on the board who live in Minnesota - so I just thought we should make a post to check in and make sure everyone is fine.
If you haven't heard of the horrible tragedy that occurred on the 35W bridge going across the Minneapolis - it collapsed at 6:05 p.m. Central time right in the middle of rush hour. We have been on the phone with family and friends for the last few hours reassuring them we are fine - so thought I'd post this here to do the same!
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