It Was Like a Movie

I've sat here at this same computer in this same chair over the past week trying to tell you the story of April 27, 2011 and the words would just not come. Tears but no words. I think finally after a week, I am now able to tell you. Please excuse any rambling because my mind is in a million places at once as I write.

During the wee morning hours of Wednesday, April 27th, I like many people was sleeping. Others however were in their "place of safety" as tornados demoished their homes and lives forever. I selfishly awoke to find my power out and grumbled to myself about not being able to fix my hair. I had no idea what had just happened.

Due to the impending weather, many schools and places of business were closed. Others closed by lunch including Aidan's daycare. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then at 2.00, my favorite weather man James Spann appeared on the TV. This man and his team deserve metals, trophies, or a parade or something for their coverage of the day's events. (More on that later.) He was saying in West Alabama where we get the worse weather straight out of Mississippi, a tornadic storm was starting. He said although the National Weather Service had not yet issued a warning, he felt that any person in that area should retreat to their "safe place". This phrase is all too familiar to our state, a room in the center of the home on the ground floor or a basement or better yet a storm shelter. About 20 minutes later, the National Weather Service issued the first warning of the afternoon. And they kept coming.

I urge you to watch this video before reading any further. It is about 13 minutes long. (You can actually start watching at 7 minutes in. Mute your speakers if you are at work.) I have never seen anything like this in my life and have heard tornados pass over my house before. This kind of anger and fury is what ripped through our state and our lives forever. If you watch it looks like a live being with a mind of its own. Hellbent on death and distruction. This particular tornado is an F-5 (the worst on the scale) and is over a mile and a half wide and traveled on the ground 202 miles. Top wind speeds were 210 MPH. The first time I watched this video I felt like I was going to vomit and realized I was visibly shaking. This tornado formed a debris ball that picked stuff up all the way from Tuscaloosa (T-Town as it's known here) and threw it hunderds of miles away. I found pieces of paper and tin and shingles in my yard over 150-200 miles away. It looked like the sky was falling. I have never seen anything like that in my life. I was terrified. It truely was something straight out of Hollywood only the destruction left behind was not planned and the blood that was spilled was not ketchup.

During the coarse of the day, I, like many (who still had power anyway), was glued to my tv watching numberous other tornados of the same magnitude from various places around the state on live tv as the news storm spotters and sky cams streamed their live video. By the end the of the afternoon, I was numb. But it was far from over.

Luckily all the storms had missed us except for one that was 30 miles away and headed straight for us. The sky was green. The most eeire site in the world. And it was hot. VERY hot. Any Alabamian knows that tornados love heat and humidity. I estimate that it was 85 - 90 degrees with 120% humidity, but I am no expert. After what I had seen earlier in the day it was like impending doom. I gathered pillows and blankets and Aidan and took them to our safe place. And just when it started to rain (rain is usually on the outer portion of a tornado.) it hit the mountain and turned and went the other way. Thank God. Many people were killed during this storm that went through Argo. We didn't know it at the time but a guy that Wes works with house was totally demolished by that storm and all his family injured. They lost everything and almost their lives. He had a broken arm that required plates and pins to repair. Every spot on his face has a mark. His back looks like it was chewed by some wild animal. His grandfather had to have his arm amputated. His 3 year old has staples all over his body, a neck brace, and a leg cast all the way up to the hip. But they all survived. Some where not that lucky.

During this past week I have heard stories of great inspiration and great sadness as I am told of people being buried in their homes or being sucked into the tornados. Pieces of bodies being found, pieces of peoples homes and lives scattered miles away. Tales of people being found alive days after under the rubble although after a week those tales are few and far between.

The mayor of a town I had never heard of in West Alabama called Hackleburg called in to the newscast and said that they had no idea how to find people or even begin to count the number of people dead because there was NOT ONE SINGLE building in the town of 1500 left standing. Not one. The images from this time look like another country. A war zone. Houses leveled everywhere you look.

Bits of these newscast are availale on you tube to those who wish to watch. James Spann and his team saved many lives that day on ABC 33/40. They are quick to down play their role but for a long time now they have had a commitment to stay on the air if any active tornado warnings are within the Birmingham DMA. You can not go through a storm without James Spann on television. I know to me, he is a comfort. At one point on Wednesday he said don't worry, We will get though this together. He's not a televison personality. He is a scientist. He knows his weather that is for sure. He is the only person I trust to keep my family safe. They should be nationally recognized for their efforts this week. And their help doesn't end there. They have been actively helping in the clean up and spreading the needs through facebook and twitter. Search #wearealabama on twitter to see.

Yesterday our Govenor put it best when he said (paraphrased) these storms killed many people regaurdless of nationality, race, sex, or income level. This is Alabama's Katrina. I have heard reports that the damage will be the same more than Katrina. However there are no national telethons or many celebrities begging for you to give. We feel abandoned. Randomly a student from UA tweeted Charlie Sheen and asked him to come and he did along with $1 million. Plus he started a website torpedosfortornados.com where you can donate to the relief. I was shocked to say the least. Not to downplay the money that has been raised and continues to be so I feel like if there can be a telethon that raises million of dollars for Hati then there should be one for this.

The day after I found out that the whole northern part of the state was without power. Our small town was the closest place to buy gas, supplies and food. It was insane of the amount of people in the town. Then the gas gouging began but a call from the attorney general's office today says that if the increase was not 25% or more it doesn't fall under the law. (That law is bull.) The lines for gas stations went back for about a mile at each station. Then the internet and phones went down for the entire town. All we had was Verizon (who had many towers out) and it was so jammed people just couldn't get through. Without internet and phones credit cards do not work. Who carries cash anymore? I have had a cell phone since I was 16. I can't imagine my life without. I felt like I was on another planet far far away from the rest of the word. I am still amazed at the trickle down effect.

Looters are a huge problem as well. Police officers are working long hours in the dark just to keep the looters out. How can someone do such a horrible thing when all these people have is a pile where their house was? I firmly believe there is a special place in hell for those people.

April 27, 2011 and the months of work ahead will be a memory that I will never be able to forget. These horrible images are forever etched in my brain. But as I have returned to my life at work and at home I feel selfish. Selfish for having a home and a car and place to work. Many people do not have this. Even very insignificant things seem oddly different like taking a sippy cup out of the cabinet. The thought comes to my mind, "how many people don't have homes" "how many lost their babies" and sometimes the tears roll, sometimes I am able to shake it and return back to "normal". Why were we spared an some many people were not?

I feel like I should help. I have all this leftover baby stuff that is a high need. I don't really have money to buy supplies but I can pick up debris and pass out sandwiches. For some reason I feel pulled to Hackelburg. It might be that they were hit so hard or that they are such a small town like where I am from or the fact that they are in need of everything and volunteers. I don't know but I feel like I should be there. I'm trying to work out a baby sitter for AB for the day now. I plan on spending the day there. Part of me is excited about the oportunity and part of me wonders if I can handle it. And at the same time another part of me scolds myself for such a selfish thought. If those people can handle loosing everything including friends and family then I have no room to be complaining.

I plan on posting my experience there but I doubt it will be the same day, maybe not even the same week. I can promise I will be deeply impacted. What kind of person would I be if I wasn't?