We need to be praying for those missing and presumed dead after an accident involving a barge hitting a bridge on Interstate 40 in eastern Oklahoma.

Is God mad at Oklahoma or something??

I'm beginning to wonder...

First, Oklahoma is located right smack dab in the middle of Tornado Alley and has suffered some incredible damage and devastation by twisters. Oklahoma has the distiction of having the strongest wind speeds ever measured in a tornado...318 mph. This occured on May 3, 1999, when a series of tornadoes struck in and around Oklahoma City, resulting in massive loss of property and lives.

Second, the Murrah Federal Building was blown up by a terrorist on April 19, 1995. We thought terrorism would not rear its ugly head on our own soil, especially when it was caused by one born here in the United States...this resulted in the deaths of over one hundred innocents, including babies and children.

And now today, I read of what have must have been a horrifying accident involving a barge striking a bridge and causing a section of it to collapse into the Arkansas River, sending vehicles into the river...it happened on Interstate 40, in eastern Oklahoma. Interstate 40 is *THE* major East-West Highway across Oklahoma. It is a busy road...many thousands of cars traverse its span every single day. No telling how many thousands of people are in those vehicles...

The news I heard said that it was storming when the accident occured around 7:30 AM CDT (Central Daylight Time). A barge that was supposed to be hauling oil (but was empty, instead) ran into a support column of the bridge at Webber Falls, causing a good-sized section of it to collapse, sending 12 cars, 2 tractor trailer rigs and a horse trailer plunging between 65-75 feet below into the river. Rescue officials stated that only five people survived the accident...they don't know how many people died. One person is in critical condition. One man said that he was driving, and suddenly, there was nothing underneath his car...the next thing he remembers, he was in the water. He doesn't remember getting out of his car.

I have a horror of bridges. I hate driving over them...when I had transportation, I'd do everything I could to avoid driving over a bridge. If I had absolutely NO choice, I'd grip that steering wheel for everything I was worth and hold my breath...good thing I wasn't living in Louisiana at that time. If I had to go over the Atchafalaya River Bridge (19 miles long) or the Lake Ponchartrain Bridge (24 miles long--OVER WATER!!), that would have been the death of me...I DON'T LIKE BRIDGES. Especially if they're high and long, especially if they're high and long OVER WATER.

Please keep the citizens of Oklahoma in your thoughts and prayers...they've had enough tragedy to deal with. This is one Texan who will...

GOD BLESS OKLAHOMA.