I'm ok! I'm in Bath in the UK so it was quite a shock to wake up to hearing of the bridge by way of the BBC!

Wow, has the rain ever mixed up the plants around here! Everything is lush and green but there's an awful lot of rust and molds. Many of the roses are a mess.

-Marie

I'm okay here. I could only think of one person who I know who travels that bridge frequently and fortunately he was safe at home (my dad!) I hope everyone else is safe and bless those who were involved or know someone who was involved!! My thoughts are with them all!
Kristy

I and my immediate family are ok. I have one cousin that I can't get in touch with. Her cell is turned off.

My family and myself are ok. We wait for news of others.
Bobbie

Thankfully, everyone I know is fine.

We made the BBC! Woo hoo? Not exactly as I would have hoped.

I find it quite heartening, all the genuine and compassionate concern. Everyone keeps saying: "is everyone you know safe?" or some such. When in actuality, the number of people involve is very small compared to the Minneapolis area population. I wouldn't have even known until I got to work today, had I not quickly turned on the TV for weather yesterday evening.

I am a native MNan, and I couldn't believe how much my heart ached after learning of the news.

I do wish to pass on an observation, one that in the back of my mind I knew, but after living in several areas of the US, I had forgotten or taken for granted being raised in the Upper Midwest.

Through all the interviews and visuals depicted in the media, it was so obvious of the integrity and quality of people that make Minnesota home. It amazed me the overall ability of all people (and ages!) to articulate truthful and honest thoughts, converse in complete sentences and in general emit an overall (intrinsic) beauty/attractiveness as human beings.

This is a tedious observation, but having more-or-less being deprived of such a quality of life and similar quality human interaction in south Florida, it was shocking and overall amazing to me to once again bear witness to people that you would want as family, friends, strangers, or heroes. It has demonstrated the finest of humanity in my opinion.

I remember being asked in Australia by a Rotarian why anyone would want to live in a place of such awful winters. I am positive now the whole world knows how to answer that question.

Perhaps more a personal catharsis, my apologies. I wanted to share a broadened compliment to Minnesotans (and western Wisconsonians) in light of what continues to unfold in downtown Minneapolis.

Luckily family and friends weren't on the bridge at the time of the collapse.

I'm still stunned by the entire thing.

all is well here. my brother was on the bridge a short time before it collapsed so i am VERY thankful tonight and ALL my thoughts and prayers go out to ALL the people involved and my deepest respect goes out to the people who are assisting in the rescue/recovery efforts; and my sincere sympathy goes out to those families with members unaccounted for...and to those families who have lost loved ones

My son-in-law was on the bridge an hour before the collapse. My daughter usually takes that route home from work but on a whim, took 94 instead last night. I am so very thankful. My heart goes out to all who were on the bridge and their families. My prayers go out to all of them as well as all the people who helped with rescue and continue to work at recovery.

I remember being asked in Australia by a Rotarian why anyone would want to live in a place of such awful winters. I am positive now the whole world knows how to answer that question.

Your words are so kind!! Sounds like you need to visit "home"!
Kristy :)

Hi; I do not live in the metro area, I live about 70 miles west from there. I had a husband and brother-in-law working on the bridge. My husband just drove his truck from one side to the other side that they were going to be working on 5 minutes before it went down. My BIL fell from
the falling bridge about 40 feet, and he got hurt. My husband walked away without a scratch, but his best friend
has not been found yet. He is really taking this very hard and I am really worried about him. I keep telling him that God sent his Angels over him during all of this. They are having a meeting this morning so I hope that they can all help each other through this terrible thing. He keeps saying that all he can see when he closes his eyes is his fellow workers laying on the ground hurt very bad, and everything that went along with this. I just keep everyone in my prayers, so that all will work out ok and
they can come at peace with themselves. OrDella

Our prayers are with you, your husband and brother in law, your husband's friend, OrDella.

OrDella, that sounds terrible. That is very sad news..

longwoodgradms - what a wonderful, kind post. Kinda like a big hug from a long lost friend just when you really needed it!

All of my friends and family are fine. I do have a coworker who said her husband was just about to cross the bridge before it collapsed. Sounds like he really lucked out. It's still hard to comprehend the whole thing. I live in NE Minneapolis and getting around town will be so much harder with our main freeway shut down. Of course compared to all those that got hurt some traffic issues just don't seem all that important right now. I feel so badly for all those injured, scared people.

OrDella, my thoughts are with your family and your husband's friend and his family! How terrifying this must be for all of you!
Kristy

I live northwest of Minneapolis and so far, my friends are OK. We drag race and a lot of our friends and fellow racers are from the Twin Cities area, so will know more next week when we go to BIR again.
Ordella, I am so sorry about what you are going through! I had heard that the construction crew was from up here, I guess its true. I will keep you in my prayers.
Longwoodgrad, I was not surprised to see the reaction of our felllow Minnesotans and am glad that the rest of the nation has seen what we already knew. This is the best state to live in - hands down!

Thank you everyone for the thoughts and prayers for my family. I know by looking at all the pictures in the papers and t.v. that God had his angels working over-time
on Wednesday. My husband has been getting so many phone calls from his fellow workers that are not in the hospital, that they are there for each other. He found out on Friday that 1/2 of his crew is in the hospital. I am so happy that is rained on Saturday - that some of my flowers can smile back at me when I look at them instead of looking so depressing. Thanks again Blessings to each of you. OrDella

Ordella, I will keep your loved ones in my prayers, too. I hope your husband can get through this, it must have been terrifying!

All okay here, too, thankfully!

Linda

Ordello, my heart goes out to your DH and his friends, my prayers too and to all of you from Minn. I wanted to let you know a lot of us are thinking of you. Also i was so impressed with the kindness and heroism of everyone. Your mayor was right out there doing what he could as well as your police chief, the tears flowed for a very caring person when he broke down. He had to be a tough person to be a police chief,yet he cared so much. Your govenor was like no govenor i've ever seen,he also was out there in the middle of everything, not sitting in an office saying i'll fly over in a helicopter tomorrow. And they organized everything in the best way possible. You can indeed be proud. I hope the rest of our country will learn from you.
God Bless
vickie from Arkansas

vickie-thanks for the kind words. just a quick note about the governor being there-he was born, works and lives in st. paul which is only about 10 miles from where the bridge collapsed-so in a way it would have been more unusual had he not been there at the press briefings, etc.

personally, I think the most amazing part is the way people jumped in right away--possibly risking their own lives--to help people get off of the bridge as soon as possible. had I been there that afternoon-I would like to think I would have done the same--but you never know your true level of bravery until you are actually tested. the people at the i35 bridge definitely showed their courage that afternooon.

I used to live in Minnesota and we were back visiting until just the day before the collapse... My sister still lives in the Twin Cities area and like hostaholic's daughter, she normally crosses the bridge twice daily, to and from work. For some reason that day she decided to leave work an hour early and take an alternate route due to traffic congestion. Otherwise she would normally have been on the bridge close to the time of the tragedy...

When we called her from California to see if she was OK she was still shaking from the thought of what could have been.

Our prayers are with all those effected,

Mike

Not even two weeks later.....(hope the link works)
Kristy

Here is a link that might be useful: Bridge in China collapses