Tornados across Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi

[Duffey]

We've got members who live in the area ravaged by yesterday's tornados. I know that member Noel is ok, but her hometown of Cullman, Alabama suffered significant damage and at least one confirmed death.
I am concerned about other VR members and hope they will check in as they can to let us know how they fared.
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[Greg a]

It is truly amazing the power of nature .....we were wiped out by a tornado August 7, 1979, a day we will never forget ...so our thoughts go out to those hit by the storms

 

[debster913]

MANY prayers and thoughts for those affected by the tornadoes! I hope our VR members are all right!

 

[drivetopless]

I'm ok--no tornadoes in my part of Atlanta.
Alabama is my home state. I used to live in Tuscaloosa and I have family in Birmingham and Cartersville, GA. Everyone I know is okay so far. I have customers in Ringold, GA so I've been to that McDonald's exit they keep showing.

My parents lost a 100 year old oak tree which took down a 60+ year old magnolia tree that I used to climb as a child. Fortunately, the trees landed between two houses that are only about 20 feet apart. Amazing. No one was hurt.

 

[nngbwh]

Hope everyone is all right. Thanks for posting , Duffey.

 

[ShezaGirlie]

Absolutely devastating to some areas in those states.. I'm wondering about Al Capshaw who (I think) lives in Alabama?!?!?! Hope he's OK along with our other members who live in the paths of these tornadoes or have friends and relatives who do. Thinking of all of you..

 

[Duffey]

I talked to Robbie (Noel's wife) late this afternoon. There home was spared, but their daughter's, next door neighbor's house was totally destroyed. Robbie said the town is dealing with no power (power comes from a nuclear plant nearby), no way of getting gasoline, money, or food. Schools are closed indefinitely.
The important thing is they're unhurt, but for now, they're still reeling from the shock and prayers would be appreciated.

 

[Debbrn]

I am alive. I have a house, electricity and water. I am truly blessed. But, all I can say is OMG!!!!! I am a peds nurse and heard to many terrible stories in 30 minutes, and that was just the patients on my unit. The day shift nurse could hardly get through with report without crying. I could hardly function through my shift. I cried all the way home. There is so much devastation here. I can't say much because it would be a HIPAA violation. I don't know how first responders, docs, ER and ICU are dealing with all this. We had nurses calling in saying that they had nothing left and that they had lost loved ones so they were not coming in to work. We have other nurses that still can't get out of there neighborhoods. We had another nurse that walked out of her house and had bodies in here front yard. Another nurse had debris in her yard from 75 miles away.

Debbie

 

[Cooker]

Thoughts and prayers for all impacted by these storms....

 

[Duffey]

I am alive. I have a house, electricity and water. I am truly blessed. But, all I can say is OMG!!!!! I am a peds nurse and heard to many terrible stories in 30 minutes, and that was just the patients on my unit. The day shift nurse could hardly get through with report without crying. I could hardly function through my shift. I cried all the way home. There is so much devastation here. I can't say much because it would be a HIPAA violation. I don't know how first responders, docs, ER and ICU are dealing with all this. We had nurses calling in saying that they had nothing left and that they had lost loved ones so they were not coming in to work. We have other nurses that still can't get out of there neighborhoods. We had another nurse that walked out of her house and had bodies in here front yard. Another nurse had debris in her yard from 75 miles away.

Debbie

Debbie,
I'm so glad to read that you are all right. My thoughts and prayers are with you all as you deal with the storms' terrible aftermath.

 

[Superbob]

So sudden, terrible, and devastating. My heart goes out to all those victims of this storm. We were barely touched by the remnants of the monstrous storm here. Can only imagine what those in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia have suffered. May God bless them as the survivors bury the dead and put their communities and lives back together.

 

[Jeff Edmonton]

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those effected by this, it is very scary to see the size of these tornados.

 

[AgilityDog]

This has been truly a very bad week. We were lucky to miss the Texas tornados (they went just South and East of DFW), but I've got a huge extended family in the Huntsville, AL area. I know there's little power there, as the nuclear plant is down and the Huntsville hospital is purportedly running on generator power.
My second cousin's daughter lost a college friend: the friend's body was found 3 miles from her home in Tuscaloosa.

We are praying for all of you.

 

[Marcia58]

Orange Brittianey and Kayfay both live in SC. Britt says their weather was bad, but not like further south in AL, GA, MS. Haven't heard from Kay.

 

[Mileena46]

I am alive! Wow....250 confirmed dead in Alabama......anyone heard from AL? He lives in Huntsville...I live further east in Jackson County...parts of the county are totally devestated! Earlier today I heard that only 3% of Huntsville had restored power. We just got it back on today. Many many people in need of Ice and food. Ice is a rare commodity. We had to drive around to try and find some, but all our frozen food ruined. STILL everyone with a home still standing can count their blessings! We stood on the front porch and listened to several large tornadoes pass by overhead. The pictures of people sitting outside where homes use to be is heart breaking! Please keep all of us here in Alabama in your prayers, we have a long way to go to re-build. The death toll is expected to rise because there are still several hundred people un accounted for....!!! Me and my family thank God that we lived through this with nothing but loss of our electricity!

Mileena

 

[Andrew J]

I have watched the devastation on the news and find it heart breaking. We dont have Tornados here like you have there, only recently they had floods starting in Qld and going all the way down to Vic and they were terrible and lives were lost. Mother nature at its worse. My thoughts and prayers to all who have been affected.

 

[Duffey]

I am alive! Wow....250 confirmed dead in Alabama......anyone heard from AL? He lives in Huntsville...I live further east in Jackson County...parts of the county are totally devestated! Earlier today I heard that only 3% of Huntsville had restored power. We just got it back on today. Many many people in need of Ice and food. Ice is a rare commodity. We had to drive around to try and find some, but all our frozen food ruined. STILL everyone with a home still standing can count their blessings! We stood on the front porch and listened to several large tornadoes pass by overhead. The pictures of people sitting outside where homes use to be is heart breaking! Please keep all of us here in Alabama in your prayers, we have a long way to go to re-build. The death toll is expected to rise because there are still several hundred people un accounted for....!!! Me and my family thank God that we lived through this with nothing but loss of our electricity!

Mileena

I'm so glad to read that you're ok. Perhaps we'll also hear from AlCapshaw2 soon.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

AL Capshaw reporting here. I live in North Alabama (near Hunstsville) and was Very Fortunate to have 'dodged a bullet'. Huntsville and Madison were mostly spared from serious damage (lots of trees blown over) but Limestone County (West of HSV) and Northern Madison County suffered SEVERE damage from at least 2 EF-4 Tornadoes.

There are subdivisions within 2 miles of me where houses were totally demolished and 'swept away' from their foundations. I had some large trees blown over or snapped off but none hit my house.

The Electrical Feed Lines from the Brown's Ferry Nuclear Reactor to Madison County were completely destroyed and will need to be rebuilt from scratch. Many (over 50) of those Giant 500 KiloVolt Line Towers were either blown over or pulled out of the ground with their Giant Concrete Bases laying on the ground attached to the crumpled-up towers. Over 600,000 people were without power for several days. Power is slowly being restored to the area by connecting to other sources and feed systems.

The 3 major Hospitals in Huntsville were running on Generator Power but are back on public supplied power now.

Several other counties also had Serious Tornado Damage, including Tuscalosa, home of the University of Alabama.
The Death Toll for Alabama is over 200 and climbing.

At least 2 of the Local Radio Stations have been conducting continuous Storm Damage Coverage with public call-ins for information dispersal and retrieval. Volunteer Groups all over the area are helping with cleanup. Many Food Stores and Restaurants offered free food to workers and volunteers. Several held neighborhood 'cookouts' to disperse food that could not be kept cold due to loss of power for refrigeration. A Dusk-to-Dawn Curfew has been well respected to minimize crime and safety hazards of driving with No street lights or traffic lights.

Alabama can be Proud of how it's citizens have come together to help each other in this time of crisis.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Mileena46]

Good to hear you are ok Al!!!

Mileena

 

[nngbwh]

Glad to hear everyone is safe. We should all take some time to count our blessings.