Tuscaloosa Tornado

I have scarcely been able to tear myself away from the computer since the powerful tornado struck my beloved hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. My family was in the direct path of the tornado.

This is an aerial view of their neighborhood that I found on the Internet. My dad's house is on the lower left. After my mother died last year, he moved into the in-law apartment on the back of the house. My brother and his family moved into the main house. The apartment is completely gone, so my dad lost his home. The main house is also totaled and not structurally sound. He said the windows exploded and the doors were blown off.

My sister's house is on the lower right corner. While the house looks fairly sound, it isn't. She said that they could feel the tornado lift the house completely off the foundation. She said the walls are cracked and the house is not livable.

Their cars and their homes were totaled.

This is a picture my sister-in-law took of the back yard. My dad's beloved little dog is missing and he has been searching through the rubble trying to find her.

Here is another picture of my sister's house in the lower left. Her carport has significant damage. Notice that both neighbors on either side of her has their entire roof missing.

After the storm they immediately began helping their neighbors who were trapped in the rubble. My brother-in-law's aunt and uncle live right across the street from him, their home was completely destroyed and they were trapped in their bathroom. Another neighbor was trapped under a brick wall. They have quite a few stories to tell about their experience, especially since it was hours before emergency personnel was able to get to them. Their home was basically a triage center for those needing assistance. So many people were in shock and had injuries.

This is what it looks like just a few houses down at the end of the block.

Another view of the end of the block.

I am so thankful that my loved ones are all safe and without injury. Others were not as fortunate; there were several fatalities in their neighborhood and all across the city. So many people are homeless. I am thankful that my family has other family members to stay with. While we are counting our blessings, we grieve and are heart broken for the loss of life and the utter devastation of our beloved hometown.