Say What?

This is a strange passage from an article from The Chicago Tribune and Reuters:
At least 34 people were killed in tornadoes unleashed by a ferocious storm system that razed neighborhoods in the southern United States over the last three days and threatened more destruction in heavily populated parts of the South on Tuesday....
In Park Hill, a traditionally black and densely populated neighborhood of Tupelo, the sound of chainsaws reverberated in the air as children joined adults to help remove debris and residents handed out grilled hotdogs on the streets to anyone in need of food.  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-tornado-weather-20140427,0,5096997.story
Why did the story that a particular area hit by the tornado was tradiotionally Black? 
Did the tornado single the area out because it was a Black area?
That it was more of a tragedy because the area hit was a Black area?
Or is it shocking to the writer to see Blacks helping out their neighbors and that the kids were working?
Just curious.