One year ago...

In my last post, I had mentioned that before leaving Oklahoma, I was a managing editor of a newspaper.

That newspaper was the Newcastle Pacer. A small, weekly community paper serving the rapidly-transforming city of Newcastle, Oklahoma. Population: 8,000, give or take.

At this time last year, I had been with the Pacer for a little over two months, and its managing editor for only a few weeks. I was still learning the ropes, getting used to the workload and working on repairing the paper's soiled image with the population it served.



May 20, 2013 was a Monday; the day before we went to press. My to-do list that morning was somewhat impressive.

Somewhat. (Google Image)

When we arrived at work that morning, my coworkers and I did discuss the weather: It was predicted to be stormy, with a good chance of tornadoes. Many TV weather forecasters were banding about terms like "outbreak," however I never really paid much attention to that. TV forecasters, especially in Oklahoma, had a tendency to be a little sensationalist with their weather coverage.


So, when the publisher told us to close up shop and head home at around 11 a.m., my first thought was "Hey, free time off." So, in the what I thought unlikely event we'd get hit with a tornado, I packed up all of my notes, my camera gear, my computer and a backup of our server and went back to my apartment to relax and surf the net.

This is a photo I posted to Facebook on my way home. The day-glo vest said "Press" on the back, and I was told I had to take it. (Photo by Bryan Trude)

How very wrong I was.

Watching the local TV simulcast over the Internet that afternoon, I watched live as a tornado that would go on to make worldwide news for the damage it would do to Moore form and drop right down on top of Newcastle.

Once the all clear was given, I was back in my car, going back to work.

I parked on the side of the road on Country Club Drive, just south of State Highway 37, where police from multiple agencies had set up a command and roadblock area, as the neighborhoods north of that point had ceased to be. As I walked up and began taking pictures, I was greeted with waves of residents walking out of the neighborhoods, in shock as if a bomb had gone off.

Hold on, let me tweet this. (Photo by Bryan Trude, The Newcastle Pacer)

Family members gathered in the middle of the highway, waiting to see if their loved ones would come walking out of the storm zone.

What a relief it was when they did. (Photo by Bryan Trude, The Newcastle Pacer)

It was all others could do to just sit down, get their bearings and come to terms with what had just happened.

Something which could take a very long time. (Photo by Bryan Trude, The Newcastle Pacer)

By all account, Newcastle got off very lucky. People around the world heard about the children who died in Moore when the tornado wiped two elementary schools off of the face of the planet, however Newcastle had no deaths: just one man who got a piece of debris embedded in his leg went to the hospital. However, even if everyone lived, everyone there that day was changed. Myself included.



In the coming days, and even today, Newcastle works to rebound and recover. However, as people remember the events of May 20 one year ago, my thoughts turn to the one community who suffered and rebuilt away from the glare of the world's eyes.

There was a lot of work to do. (Photo by Bryan Trude, The Newcastle Pacer)

Newcastle today has come a long way. I may not be there to mark the one year anniversary with you, but hang in there, y'all.



You can read my article following the tornado here.