We got everyone home and the weather was just a little windy. I even let the boys play outside for a while knowing that they would be like caged animals by that evening if we had to stay in the basement all day. Around 4:00 is when the storms started passing through. We all went down to the basement where the boys played while Dan and I watched the weathermen on TV. That is when we saw it live on TV. The tornado that formed just before Tuscaloosa caught by a tower cam. It was MASSIVE. The weathermen saying that if you were not underground, you were not going to make it. We watched it make a track through the heart of Tuscaloosa. It seemed like an eternity. It was terrifying! Then they said it was headed our way. In the mean time, there were several other storms moving though with tornadoes thought to be in them. Some of them moved though to the South of us and some to the North of us. Every time we got out of the closet, the weather man would say, "we have ANOTHER tornado emergency, another tornado on the ground moving into Shelby County (our county)". I heard him say this no less than a 1/2 dozen times. The weather people are reporting that more than 60 tornadoes were reported in Alabama that day and the death toll is closing in on 300.
Facebook was blowing up! Everyone was warning everyone else and checking on people. It kept everyone in touch and let us know that our friends and family were safe. Crazy as it seems...faceboook...
The massive tornado that ripped through Tuscaloosa did move through West of us and on up to North Birmingham. Over 500 people are still "missing", 5700 business were destroyed.
This day is being reported as the 2nd most deadliest tornado event in US history. 1st being in 1925 when they did not have the warning system in place that we do now. Below is what we watched on tv.
Now, the aftermath...
You turn on the radio...all they are broadcasting is where to post pictures of loved ones that are missing, where to report your claims, and where the nearest shelters are. Or even worse you hear from people who witnessed one of these many tornadoes first hand or that worked in a hospital that tried to take in all these tornado victims. You hear stories about parents that watched their children get crushed by their house, or a father whose infant child was sucked out of his arms, or parents that flew to Tuscaloosa from Texas to search for their daughter only to find her dead in her car.
Now they have the cadaver dogs out to tried to find the remainder of the bodies. It is just surreal.
You drive down the road and there is a "tornado relief" tent on every corner for you to donate water, food, toiletries, etc.
You shop for your groceries or go to any event in your neighborhood and that is all people are talking about. Where they were during the storm, who they know that was effected by the storm, and who they know that was killed. Most people here have friends or relatives staying with them either because they have lost power or they have lost their house.
It is sad and everyone is traumatized by this tragedy. It will be a long time before Alabama gets past this terrible day. It reminds me a lot of when Katrina came though. Communities adopting other hard hit communities.
We have a threat of severe weather tomorrow...should be interesting to see how Jack and Mason react to this. Dan and I have tried to keep this on the "down-low" so that they will not be scared of storms now. But they saw the tv and saw the big tornado. If nothing else, I hope they have a good respect for these storms. I know Mason does, but not so sure of Jack. Jack did not seem concerned at all when we were in the closet. He just wanted out!
But, life goes on...baseball games continue, school continues (for most of us), life continues. It is just that we are now more grateful for what we have...especially our loved ones and our lives.
