the police officers, the paramedics, the e.m.t.'s and nurses and doctors and neighbors helping neighbors. talked to a woman in tennessee last year during the floods in nashville, and it was this home that was completely flooded. actually it was a week later, and it was being mucked out or cleaned out by again, lutherans and another, i forget the other name of the other faith-based group. there were two groups cleaning up her front home and she's sitting out this 86-year-old woman saying all these nice people are helping me clean out literally what's left of their home and she said i wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for my neighbor that broke my front window out and pulled me out and saved her life. he was a nice young man, a 63-year-old neighbor, the nice young man that saved her life. [laughter] >> but it's neighbors helping neighbors. those are the heroes. those are the people that we need to make sure that they are part of our team as we plan to go forward, not just for response but for recovery as well. it's really important

there were the e.m.t.'s who saw a woman thrown from her car and saved her from being pummeled by hail by dragging a large metal sign across the road and holding it over her. they likely saved her life. there were parents and friends and even strangers across southern indiana who, as danger approached, took a moment to extend a hand to others and said, come inside. we'll find room. after the storms left they turnd to loved ones and comforting neighbors. the damage was and is severe. one tornado, by some accounts, a half mile wide, carved a clear path through southern indiana, ripping trees out of the earth, hurling automobiles and combines long distances, severing powerlines and decimating countless homes and businesses. once again, hoosiers didn't sit around and help -- wait for others to help out. they went to work. over the weekend i spent time surveying the damage and meeting with those who lost. everyone i visited, i met citizens wearing work boots, work gloves and began going through the piles of rubbl