It may now be time for the City of Americus to return the kindnesses heaped on its residents, following the devastating March 1 tornado, that destroyed homes, businesses and lives.

The latest Associated Press (AP) story about the Greensburg, Kans., tornado reports that over 90 percent of the town is gone and nine people are dead.

“We have accepted help, and now we’ve got to give help,” said Leisa Cross, executive director of the Middle Flint Chapter of the American Red Cross (ARC). “That’s what makes the world go around.”

She said when the tornado hit Americus, she got donations from as far away as Canada.

“We need to take care of them, like people took care of us,” she said.

It all stems from compassion though, Cross said.

“I think if anybody can be compassionate about Kansas, it’s Americus and Sumter County,” she added. “Even though they’re still recovering, I hope that people here can extend their arms to Kansas.”

In order to create a mental vision of what the damage is, Cross compared the devastation in Greensburg to what the devastation would be if the same thing happened in Montezuma.

“Think about Montezuma wiped out and how it would be for people,” she said.

Cross said that perhaps one of the biggest post-disaster issues for Greensburg will be a shortage of housing.

Cross said Rick Davis and several others from Americus have gone with Samaritan’s Purse to the tornado-stricken area.

As for donations, Cross said she would accept any earmarked for Kansas.

According to a news release on the ARC website, www.redcross.org, those wishing to know the status of friends and relatives in the Greensburg area can go to the website and click on the link “Safe and Well.” The news release also said that the ARC is on the scene in Kansas with emergency response vehicles (ERVs), as well as feeding units and emergency shelters.

The National Weather Service out of Peachtree City classified the tornado that hit Americus as an EF3 tornado, which blew maximum sustained winds between 136 and 165 miles per hour.

Some weather officials have put winds in the Kansas tornado at around 200 miles per hour.