The bad - tornados. EVERYWHERE, ALL DAY LONG. Cities of Tuscaloosa, Cullman, Hackleburg, all just devastated. There were entire shopping centers, neighborhoods, and schools totally wiped out. Gone. Nothing left but a bare spot.
One tornado stayed on the ground through the whole state. Came from MS and went to GA. Tore Alabama up. Debris from Tuscaloosa was deposited in Birmingham and beyond. Everytime it dropped down it left some debris and picked up other.
The ugly - we wont know the full effect of how ugly it is (and it will be ugly) until tomorrow in the daylight. So far the confirmed death toll in Alabama is 53. This will likely go well beyond 100 I think. There is one community - Hackleburg - that is so devastated it cant even begin to look for the missing effectively until daylight. They have dozens (or more) unaccounted for because the damage is so bad they cant even get into some areas to look.
Please pray for everyone affected by these storms. And almost everyone in the state of Alabama will be affected by this, if not directly, they will have friends who are affected.
There are no words to describe it.
I cannot begin to comprehend how blessed I and my family are, that in our area all we got were a few sprinkles of rain.
The tornado from Tuscaloosa:
4-27-11 Tornado Tuscaloosa, Al from Crimson Tide Productions on Vimeo.
What was left after that tornado hit downtown Tuscaloosa:
Pictures don't do the devastation justice!! I can tell you from a first hand account. I watched alot of the news coverage after we got power restored, trying to see what I missed the last several days. Inconvenienced, but Blessed that is all it was! First storm of the day came over our house about 4:45 am, all we had were some limbs down. A couple of neighbors had signicant damage to homes with all vehicles also totaled. Of course, I was at DCH in Tuscaloosa when it hit! Thankfully, initial reports were incorrect, and the hospital is intact. Less than a block over we cannot say the same!! Looks like a bomb has been dropped. Complete and total devastation everywhere!!! I do not have words to describe it. I have never seen anything like this and pray I never will again!
ReplyDeleteI have had so many calls, emails and texts during and after the tornado from family, friends, some I have had no contact with in years, checking on our
safety. Some from strangers who are friends of friends, and several from a lady in Cincinnati who, accidentally called looking for someone else (she wrote the cell number incorrectly and was calling another Debbie in tuscaloosa) she had now called several times.
COntinue to pray for our citizens and others as well during this time. Mayor yesterday said that over 1/7th of our city is gone. The path was 1/2 to one mile wide and on the ground for 4.9 miles!!
Debra
E For that I am grateful and appreciative.