By Mary O’KEEFE

I have thought a lot this past weekend about what home means. I spent Saturday and Sunday at Prom Plus (PP). This after-prom party for Crescenta Valley High School seniors celebrated 30 years this year and it is an amazing organization; however, this is the last one I’ll be participating in. I have been a PP board member for well over 15 years. Only one of our board members has a child in the school system; for the rest of us, all of our kids graduated years ago from the high school. For an organization to grow it has to have new members, and I am hopeful (given the response I received from parents who want to keep the organization going) that it will continue. But for me … this was it. I started working at 5 a.m. on Saturday and went to bed at 9 p.m. on Sunday; I am just too old for this.

That being said, PP (and especially Prom Plus Club, the youth arm of Prom Plus) has been my home … a place where kids show up and feel safe, where I feel comfortable and where I have made a lot of friends. It has also been an inspiration. I have seen the best in our community as members volunteer and donate money to help support PP. It has made me feel like this community is my home, even though I am not from here or even from California. And that got me thinking about home.

I am in the minority within my immediate family; all of them were born and raised in California. There are times when, although I know my home is here, I still feel like a visitor. I have spoken to people who are transplants from other states, and countries, and this is a common feeling – especially when something happens “back home.”

For me, Tuesday was that homesick-type feeling when I watched the Weather Channel as it tracked tornadoes ravaging my home state of Iowa. My brother, who is in Arizona, sent me a notice that read, “The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for Mahaska County and the tornado is headed in the direction that would likely affect the City of Oskaloosa.” Oskaloosa is my hometown.

That was a “heart skips a beat” moment – when you feel absolutely helpless. My brother and I immediately began reaching out to family and friends in Iowa. Luckily the tornado did not touch down in Oskaloosa and all were safe. My cousin, who lives north of Osky, had a tornado go over her town but it did not touch down; however, the wind was so strong it split a large tree on her property.

One of my friends shared a before and after photo of Greenfield, Iowa. The before-photo shows a green, tree-lined street; the after-photo was taken immediately after the tornado struck and there was nothing left but small pieces of wood where houses used to sit. There was a post on social media that stated, “The way landscapes can be deeply altered in mere seconds will never cease to scare the cr*p out of me.”

On Tuesday, 20 tornadoes slammed through three states with multiple people killed and thousands of homes and businesses obliterated. On Wednesday, authorities were still shifting through the rubble in Greenfield searching for survivors.

When there is an earthquake here, I get calls from all of my family and friends in the Midwest asking me if I am okay – this is something that happens with families everywhere; however, the power of these storms on Tuesday was frightening. My cousin sent a video that showed the immense power of the wind and that was without the tornado touching down.

My prayers are with those who lost their loved ones and are trying to pick up what is left of their homes and lives. It is another reminder that, as advanced as we think we are, Mother Nature must still be respected.

Today, more patchy fog and some drizzle are expected with no measurable rain eventually clearing with a high of 69. The same on Friday with highs of 66. Over the weekend we may reach into the 70s; Monday and Tuesday will be in the high 70s with sunshine expected.