What Western New Yorkers dealt with over the weekend was not easy. Winds in excess of 60 mph put a strain on many while wreaking havoc on significant portions of Dunkirk and Fredonia.

Trucks were overturned. Electricity was out. Trees came down. Homes were damaged.

Overall, however, everything has worked out just fine. That is not the case elsewhere.

One day before the high winds impacted our region, a tornado outbreak killed at least 88 people in five states — 74 of them in Kentucky — cut a path of devastation that stretched from Arkansas, where a nursing home was destroyed, to Illinois, where an Amazon distribution center was heavily damaged.

That is a real-life nightmare. With Christmas 10 days away, many in those areas have lost everything. If you would like to help, visit redcross.org or call 800-RED CROSS to make a donation.

Our weekend event was an annoyance. For other locations, it is a life-changer.