Kevin Connell is a retired guidance counselor from Oregon, Missouri, now working as a disaster specialist for the American Red Cross out of the Midland Empire Chapter in St. Joseph. Connell, a veteran of about 27 disaster responses, recently returned home from two weeks helping tornado victims in Joplin. He then took one day off, before going back to work on the local flood response here.

Connell, who responded to Hurricane Katrina twice, says the damage in Joplin was worse.

“I have never seen damage like that before. Katrina was more widespread, but the damage at Joplin was far worse than anything I’d ever seen before. It looked like an atomic bomb had gone off.”

Connell says he was struck by the widespread acts of charity in Joplin. He says when he went out to the disaster zone in Joplin to feed people, his team would be followed by people with chicken wings and sandwiches and cold water. And on almost every corner, someone would have a barbecue set up.

Connell says he gets more than he gives when he lends a hand to people in need.

“Sometimes I think I get more out of it,” he said, “because you feel humanity works and people help each other when times are hard.”

“You see that reinforced over and over again when you go to these things.”

The people of Joplin left a strong impression on the former high school guidance counselor.

“The people were so receptive and just kept thanking us for being there,” he said. “It was amazing to see somebody have to dig through the little pieces of their life like that.”

“After two weeks, I knew I was coming home to a nice house but these people had to live, and still live, with the destruction that was down there.”

Listen to Kevin’s story here. The photographs below were supplied by the Midland Empire Chapter of the American Red Cross.

[audio:http://www.stjosephpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/KEVIN-long-form1.mp3|titles=KEVIN long form]