update from Mpls metro

I've had a few messages, so I thought I'd write briefly about the bridge collapse. Authorities are asking the metro to not use their cell phones if they don't have to tonight.

Obviously, no, I wasn't on the bridge. I live a good 40 minutes from that area. I was afraid at first that my sister and brother-in-law were on 35W going to Minneapolis! But apparently they weren't in that area. I had to wait a little bit to find that out, though! :)

The bridge collapsed at about 6:05 p.m. -- rush hour. I first heard about it at 7 p.m. as I was eavesdropping on my fellow Target customers (inadvertently). A woman mentioned a bridge collapsed on 35W. I immediately called the news editor in the next town to find out more about what was going on -- 35W is sometimes wrongly used to refer to just plain 35, and 35 goes right by here. She told me a little more and then I started worrying about Megan and Nate.

Pretty much I've been glued to every local news source -- with preference for KARE 11 and the Strib (reluctantly) -- ever since. I'm not sure if I'm the only one. And in the car -- I didn't even know what radio station I was listening to. It was just whatever you got to first that was a newscaster. People are worrying about anyone they know but trying to refrain from using their phones. I don't know anyone who knows anyone, so far, though for our paper this will mean trying to localize it for our weekend issue.

A few brief reflections:

* As a paranoid person, I don't ever want to drive on a bridge again. I already didn't trust them.

* Some of the big stories are yet to come -- how this affects life. This is a major four-lane bridge over a major river. I think I heard one person speculate it would be two years at the quickest before they could have a new one.

* I want to give blood, but I don't think they'll have a local (as in at my city) drive.

* It is comforting to know that HCMC (the only Level 1 trauma center) has an emergency plan, that other government entities have emergency plans. It sounds like they're working.

* The first thing you think of is where all your family is. You take tabs. That would be very difficult if you knew you weren't supposed to use your phones. That's one reason family emergency plans are so important -- how will you know how to find your family if telecommunications are not a possibility? MAKE A PLAN. It isn't silly or paranoid. Do it today.

* Prayers. Lots of them. Without ceasing.

* Basically, this has impact on my life only because I'm in the news biz. But it is still unsettling at the very least because it's such a commonly used bridge. If I were going to Minneapolis, I'd use it. No questions.