Alabama Devastation

[railroad]

Guys if you ever pray, say one for the folks in Alabama and the South. I have never experienced a house fire where you loose everything you own, but it is the only thing I can compare the loss families have had thrown on them, with so many loosing every tangible thing they had. I feel guilty saying my families only suffered power loss for a few days. We survived unscathed. I had my son, whom the tornado came close, get in his car in the basement and turn on the ignition so the airbags might deploy, if it got bad. Our death toll is still rising. I live about 70 miles from one of the bad sites, Tuscaloosa, and we found a Blue Cross insurance card of a Tuscaloosa resident in our yard. My son found other paper work, felt, insulation and a $20 bill out in the field. My brothers wife found a jaw bone from an animal, probably a pet. My home was about 25 miles from the nearest path of damage. I am really at a loss of words to relate to the carnage. The tornado seldom left the gound as it cut a diagonal swath across the state, about 180 miles. Some of the small towns, to the size they just had a few stores, totally gone. Just pray for those suffering, that they find some peace and rest, while they mourn, rebuild and try to recover.

 

[butch27]

You folks sure have my prayers from Michigan.

 

[Gerry]

Thats incredibly sad and in so few words. Dont know what to say or how to help.
Gerry

 

[benT]

Its pretty unbelievable. I have many close relatives in Alabama, luckily they are safe. The videos of the tornados is amazing--the size and power is unbelievable. Its just sad that there was such as large loss of life-about 300 last I heard. with many still missing.

I have went through a house fire 25 years ago where we lost everything. It was a big deal then, but when after a while you realize that it was only material possesions and a house, it really wasn't as important. We had insurance and did OK. These folks not only lost all of their material possesions, but many lost friends and family. That can't be replaced.

 

[Corley]

I just can't believe all this destruction and devistation, it covers such a vast area. We can only hope it is over and that no one on this forum has suffered losses. Our hearts go out to those who've been impacted by all this. Really, Gerry say's it all when he say's "(I) Don't know what to say or how to help."

Corley

 

[tea boy]

You folks sure have my prayers from Michigan.

My prayers to

 

[jcunning]

Do we have any members that were affected?

 

[Ted Brown]

May God help these folks that have had the Devil in their back yards and towns,,, Sooooo Sad

 

[Allen]

A prayer. A humble and reverent thought that one's time maybe near for life as we know it.

 

[Differen T]

The destruction after a natural disaster is mind numbing for the survivors, but just as after Katrina there will be many opportunities to show your sympathy. I had the opportunity to make two trips to the Gulf coast to repair people's homes. The first was about five months after the hurricane and the amount of devastation was mind boggling. We were among the first groups of non first responders into the area. The locals were trying their best to return to some normalcy, but there was no way they could without volunteer help.

One of the men in our group had a nephew who had a house about half a mile from the bay and we went to the site of the former house. Every building on the road was gone, only the foundations remained. About 100 yards farther from the water was a tree line and in front of the trees was a huge pile of rubble, all that was left of the homes.

Volunteer, your talents will be useful to a mission team. The work you will do is greatly appreciated. On both trips we worked with family members to complete the projects on their homes and on the last day these families who had lost so much insisted on putting on a big meal for all of us. In one case I know we were the first of our race to break bread with them in their home.

Al

 

[blyndgesser]

Volunteer, your talents will be useful to a mission team. The work you will do is greatly appreciated. On both trips we worked with family members to complete the projects on their homes and on the last day these families who had lost so much insisted on putting on a big meal for all of us. In one case I know we were the first of our race to break bread with them in their home.

Al

Amen to that. I'm in Georgia, right next door, and we got a glancing blow, but parts of Alabama really will have to be rebuilt from the ground up. Right now they need the basics (food, clothing, shelter, logistical assistance), but in the weeks to come, once the media have moved on to the next disaster, the work of reconstruction will begin. Folks like the guys I've seen here could make a big difference, with welding, mechanical and repair skills as well as generosity of spirit. If you have the time, please volunteer your assistance.

 

[Ted Brown]

Now Days with the price of gas, what it is, makes driving across the Country is almost out of the question, for folks on a fixed budget/income... If somehow the so called Gov, for the people, would be "for the people" and get the cost of gas and Truck fuel back to where it really should be, like a buck a gal. this country could and would fix itself in no time flat!!! Costs so much to try and give your labor... A very sad situation all around.

 

[sstock]

I feel guilty and ashamed of myself--complaining about the coldest April in history up here in the Pacific Northwest, when our brethern is getting slammed in Dixyland with windforces straight from like Ted says HELL. The shear force of killing everything in its path and the terror generated by the experience can only be appreciated by those have experienced it.

 

[odie]

i'm in jasper and we are safe, the daugther lost her house to a tree, glad she is ok and was renting. it is bad as they say, there was 23 tornados that day. we just got internet back so i wanted to say hey. we had a small tornado about 5:00 am and at 5:15 we got a text about the tree on the house, then that evening all hell broke lose, i stood in my car port watching the weather i heard the one that went through cordova, i knew it was bad when i heard it. there is alot of cleaning up to be done, so i may not have much time to myself but most all the people around here have pulled together to do what has to be done. yall take care and thank you for your well wishes, lord knows we need them.

 

[Mike]

I suspect if you're too far away to actually provide physical labor, your local church will be trying to extend help in some way, shape or form. And remember, donations to any cause do not have to be huge. Obviously, the more you can afford to give will be more aid you will be providing, but a case of bottled water or a loaf of bread just doesn't cost that much money, so even a fiver can help.

If you cannot find a local church working to assist the tornado victims, please visit the League of the South Donation Page.

If you've never personally witnessed Mother Nature at her worst, there is no more helpless feeling in the world. And while I certainly don't mean to downplay the destructive force of hurricanes, it's nothing unusual to get as little as 5-10 minutes warning of an approaching tornado. We might get warnings that conditions are ripe for a tornado, but tornadoes can appear as if from nowhere, destroy property in a wide swath and be gone again in as little as 5 minutes. It's pretty difficult to board up a home and drive out of the area on such short notice.