When people pick up after disaster, there are invariably stories of helpfulness and heroism. In the wake of tragic damage Monday's tornado brought to Oklahoma City, there are already reports that remind us how powerful humanity can be.
As the community continues to rebuild, there will likely be more. But in the past 24 hours, some awesome people (and animals) have shown their character. Inspired by the stories below? Check out the many ways you too can help the victims.
1. Teacher Protects Students in Bathroom Stall
When the tornado hit Plaza Towers Elementary School, sixth-grade teacher Rhonda Crosswhite draped herself across several students inside a bathroom stall. Crosswhite told Today that she was never worried about herself, but focused on comforting the children crying beneath her.
Fourth grader Damian Britton, shown with his family in the video above, was one of the students that Crosswhite protected in the stall. The brave young man told the teacher that he and his friend were fine and had a firm hold on a steady object, so that she could focus on the other children. The two had a tearful on-air reunion after the event.
2. Facebook Group Attempts to Return Missing Items to Victims
On its destructive trail, the tornado blew debris from houses — including personal belongings and important documents — many miles away. A Facebook group was created to help victims get back their treasured possessions.
The Facebook group, which has 9,051 members, is posting photos of items or documents that were blown into their yard, so that they can be returned to the rightful owners. Of course, this does not include personal information, such as social security or banking information.
3. Mother Braves Storm to Save Daughter From an Asthma Attack
Just as the storm raged, Sarah Johnson had to rush from her home in Moore to the hospital because her 4-year-old daughter, Shellbie, was having an asthma attack. Johnson told The New York Times that she put a hard hat on her daughter and raced to the emergency room, while hail poured down.
By the time they got to the hospital, all of the nurses were down to the ground. Johnson shoved her daughter next to a wall and threw a mattress on top of her. The two survived the storm.
4. Woman Finds Missing Dog Buried Alive in Tornado Aftermath
Barbara Garcia survived the massive tornado, but her house and neighborhood were completely destroyed. She was holding her small dog while sitting on a stool in her small bathroom, and though she never lost consciousness, she did lose her dog.
Amazingly, Garcia found her dog alive under the rubble during an interview with CBS News. The dog emerges from the rubble just a couple feet away, and nearly seconds after Garcia was talking about him.
Another dog in Moore, Okla. was rescued by a search team from a destroyed home.
Rescued: search teams broke through the debris of a home to save this dog in Moore twitter.com/CBS11JasonAlle…— Jason Allen (@CBS11JasonAllen) May 21, 2013
5. Comfort Dogs Travel to Oklahoma
Image courtesy of Flickr, Keith Allison
Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant donated $1 million to the American Red Cross for tornado relief through his family foundation.
The basketball player's generous gift from The Durant Family Foundation was quickly delivered to the Oklahoma City Red Cross on Tuesday. According to AP, the donation is meant to match others and be an incentive for more people to help.
Hal Smith on behalf of @kdtrey5 delivers the Kevin Durant Family Foundation $1 million gift. Thanks KD. #oklahoma twitter.com/redcrossokc/st…— Red Cross Oklahoma (@redcrossokc) May 21, 2013
7. Reddit Helps Locate Missing Families
The Oklahoma subreddit has several threads upvoted to the top so that photos of missing persons are made apparent. Some have even been comforted in knowing their loved ones are safe, thanks to mass communication with strangers.
There is also an extremely extensive post in /r/Oklahoma about how to help the victims in Moore and surrounding areas.
8. Twitter Helps Organize Available and Needed Relief Aid
Jamie Sanford, an employee at Alabama Power Company, is encouraging Twitter users to include specific hashtags -- #OKHAVES and #OKNEEDS -- which distinguishes people with aid to give from those seeking it.
Among the tweets, local businesses have offered hot meals or shelter to victims and emergency personnel. Residents with homes still in tact have offered a place to stay, or at least directing to available shelter.
#OKNeeds #OKHaves I'm a truck driver in Chattanooga. If anyone needs a driver to haul a truck load of goods to #moore, msg me— Jason Jansen (@jason13jansen) May 21, 2013
#OKHaves RT @katieengo: All emergency personnel can get a free box lunch at McAlister's in Moore! 931 SW 25th St! Spread the word!— Jamie Sandford (@jsandford) May 21, 2013
#OKNeeds RT @lctvokc: Hey OKC, Salvation Army needs ice at Home Depot at I -35 and 19th in Moore.— Jamie Sandford (@jsandford) May 21, 2013
9. Rainbow Emerges After Tornado Hits
Just moments after the storm tore through, a rainbow spread across the Oklahoma sky. Though mother nature's moment is not as heroic or inspiring as the stories shown above, and more sure to come, it's a small moment of peace.
The prismatic moment was captured on Vine by University of Central Oklahoma student Levont'e D. Douglas.