.......dozens likely dead. Blood needed, if you're in Texas please consider donating.

This hits close to home. I have quite a few relatives in West. Some just two blocks from the blast. So far all are ok. Unofficial death toll 36, of which at least 5 were volunteer firefighters. Three others 1st responders. Total expected to double.

Four weeks before I can give blood again. Please help if you can. All blood types needed.

Prayers for everyone affected in West and Boston.

Thanks Gato, just saw this post. I live just north of West in Abbott and we had some glass damage at our home.

The destruction there in West is beyond belief. The homes that were not leveled by the blast are damaged enough to be condemned.
As of Saturday afternoon, there were still two bodies recovered from the apartments.
All the first responders have been accounted for.

Finally found a good friend of ours and his wife last night I had been looking for since Thursday. They lost their home but are OK. Jack was in Waco at the time of the explosion but his wife was taking pictures from the Football field of the fire before the explosion. She told us had she been in her home, she would have probably died. She happen to be talking to some folks who pulled up in a PU and that shielded her from the shockwave. They lived just across the street from where the Triage was first set up.

Friday through yesterday we have been at our community center taking material donations. Saturday morning there was a U-Haul bobtail truck pulled up, loaded to the roof. They were from Corpus Christi.
We have had folks drive in from as far away as Lubbock, San Angelo, Texarkana, Amarillo, all over the state. There is supposed to be a truck coming in from an American Legion post in New York about noon today. There was an older couple who cam in from Amarillo with a suburban full of kids clothes, all new, they had bought to bring down. When the store found out that they were brining the clothing to West, they discounted the purchase by fifty percent. It has been a humbling experience seeing the outpouring of help from Americans to Americans.