Unlike most people in Tuscaloosa, I was prepared for April 27th days in advance. I have always been a bit of a weather nerd, so I had been following the news of the approaching storm for the three days prior to that Wednesday. I have been through enough thunderstorms in Alabama that I wasn't honestly expecting anything major. Thunderstorm and tornado warnings come almost weekly in the south, so I expected a few warnings to be issued, and perhaps a few small tornadoes to touch down. Not a big deal, right? I monitored the weather daily, not because I was concerned for my own safety, but because I was hoping that the situation would become severe enough so as to cancel school for the 27th. April 27th fell during the last week of my student teaching, and I was totally overwhelmed with schoolwork. I had a few loose ends to tie up at Sipsey Valley Middle School, schoolwork to complete for my final graduate class, and wedding planning that I had put off for far too long. A day off from student teaching would give me time to catch up on each of these things, as well as time to relax and catch up on sleep. When I went to bed on the night of the 26th, I prayed to wake up to news of cancelled county schools. I set my alarm for 5:15 AM, and fell into a deep sleep.
At 4:30 AM I was jolted awake by the sound of thunder and hail. I forced myself out of bed, and padded to the living room to turn on the television. Before I could even find the remote, I was distracted by flashes from the front picture window. I had never seen lightening like that in my life. It was continual, and comparable to what one might see when standing in the same room as a strobe light. As I turned on the television to check the weather, my phone began to ring. Who in the heck was calling me at 4:30 in the morning? As soon as I answered, I heard my mom's voice on the opposite end of the line. She apologized for waking me, and asked me if I was following the weather. I explained to her that I had been drawn out of bed early because of the thunder, lightening, and hail, but that I had yet to look closely at a radar. She proceeded to tell me that she was in the storm shelter with my dad, and that a tornado warning had already been issued for their area. I got off the phone with her and promised to immediately check the weather for my own area. As I flipped through the channels looking for ABC 3340, my roommate entered the room. I assumed that she had been awakened by my phone call, and I apologized profusely for waking her at such an early hour. She quickly assured me that it was the weather, not my phone call, that had called her out of bed. Anyone who knows Ricki well, knows that she is an incredibly heavy sleeper. The fact that she had been pulled from sleep by the weather, is a true testament to how loud things were outside.
As we settled on the couch and located James Spann on ABC 3340, we finally realized the intensity of this weather system. By 5:00 AM, Tuscaloosa County was already under three different tornado warnings. As James Spann rattled off a list of communities in the path of each of these three funnels, I breathed a sigh of relief. Our apartment complex did not seem to be in the path of any of these storms. Ricki decided to return to bed so that she could catch a few more hours of shut-eye before her 8:00 AM class. Since I was already awake, I stayed on the couch to await word on the status of school for the day. Around 6:15 AM I received word from my supervising teacher that the county schools were closing for the day. I celebrated inwardly, thrilled that I would have time to do schoolwork, sleep, and wedding plan.
By the time Ricki had to leave for classes at UA, the weather had completely calmed. Ricki had been hoping that her classes would be cancelled for the day as well, so we were both pretty bummed that she had to report to campus. Before she left, we checked the weather to make sure that Tuscaloosa had seen the last of the severe storms. We were shocked to see that a tornado had struck the Coaling area of Tuscaloosa. Many people had lost homes, and portions of the Mercedes plant had been damaged. We had no idea that a tornado would come later in the afternoon that would cause most people to forget about the smaller storm earlier in the day. As the weathermen discussed the morning storm, they continually emphasized that the state of Alabama would see a more intense line later in the day. They warned viewers that Central Alabama would experience a 4-6 hour break in the storms, and that the second line would arrive early/late afternoon. The weathermen also mentioned that the storms would be more severe if the sun came out during the day, or if the temperatures climbed. The heating of the atmosphere was to be their their primary concern as the day progressed. After watching the weather, Ricki left for class, assured that she would make it back to the apartment before round two.
While Ricki was on campus, I made a few wedding related phone calls and took a long nap on the couch. As I was preparing to begin my schoolwork, I received an email from Matt. He filled me in on the weather situation in his area (two hours north of me, forty-five minutes east of mom). North Alabama was getting hammered, and Matt had already been instructed to move his class into an interior hallway. Over the next two hours, he would spend his time between the hallway and his classroom. When a lull in tornado warnings finally arrived, I received another email from him saying that Madison City Schools were releasing early for the day. I told him to keep me updated on conditions in Madison, and I began my schoolwork.
As the morning passed, I received multiple phone calls from Matt and my mom. The weather in North Alabama was becoming increasingly dangerous, and they promised to keep me updated on their whereabouts and safety. I was very worried about Matt, since he had nowhere to go if a tornado tracked in his direction. I did not trust his tiny apartment to protect him. My mom, on the other hand, had access to a storm shelter. I trusted that she would stay weather alert and make smart decisions throughout the day.
Around noon, I received a phone call from my friend Whitney. Wednesday happened to be her day off from work, and she wanted me to join her on a quick grocery shopping trip. Since I had showered earlier that morning, I threw on shorts and a t-shirt and met her downstairs. The storms of that morning had given way to an absolutely beautiful day. The sky was a gorgeous shade of blue, and the temperatures were already reaching the low nineties. Though the summer-like weather was a bit early for late April, I loved the sudden jump in temperature. As Whitney and I spent the afternoon running a few errands, I remember commenting on the heat and frequent wind. At one point, Whitney and I chased a sheet of coupons across the parking lot that the wind had ripped out of her hand. While out, we also ran into our friend Hannah. Hannah was also teaching in the county school system, and we both shared a laugh on the fact that it seemed as if the schools had been turned out for no reason. We definitely were not going to complain about a day off though!
As we finished up our errands, we decided to grab a late lunch at Zaxby's. This proved to be a great idea, since it would be the last meal we would eat for almost 24 hours. We picked up lunch, and decided to go have a tornado party at our friend Wesley's apartment. Our entire group of friends lived in our complex, The Links at Tuscaloosa, but Wesley was the only one of us with a downstairs apartment. Whitney and I decided that IF the weather got bad, we would be safer in Wesley's place than in our respective apartments. At this point though, we weren't really expecting much to come from the next line of storms. Wesley, Whitney, and I spent the next few hours catching up on life and watching television. Around 2:30 PM, Ricki joined our party after she finished class. I had been keeping up with Matt and my mom throughout the afternoon, and my mom mentioned that she had already lost power. Every time that I spoke with her she was in the storm shelter with my grandparents or other neighbors. Matt was also facing scary weather, and I continued to encourage him to find a more sturdy building in which to seek shelter.
Around 3:00 PM we changed the channel from a sitcom to check on the local weather. Though Central Alabama was still the clear, FOX 6 was showing a live feed of a tornado that was tearing through the city of Cullman. Cullman is roughly 1.5 hours from Tuscaloosa, and 30 minutes from where my mom was hunkering down. It was very eery to see an actual shot of a tornado on the ground, and even more disturbing to see the debris of homes and businesses flying through the air. Seeing the tornado on the ground finally opened my eyes to the seriousness of the situation. For the first time all day, I began to get seriously concerned. My mom also called around this time to let me know that East Mississippi was receiving terrible storms, and that this line would soon be heading toward Tuscaloosa. As soon as I got off the phone with my mom, I began questioning whether or not we should try to seek shelter underground. I was starting to get very nervous, and I wanted to make sure I was in as safe of a place as possible. Whitney seemed to agree that we needed to find a safer place than Wesley's apartment, and she phoned a coworker to see if we could join her family in their basement. Whitney's coworker Jessica told us that we could use their basement, so Whitney, Ricki, and I raced down Highway 69 South to seek safety before the storms arrived.
Within thirty minutes of our arrival, Tuscaloosa County was placed under a tornado warning. The first cell seemed to be going away from us, but another cell, further to the west, looked as if it could come straight through us. By this time, Jessica's mom had arrived home from work. After a few minutes of examining the radar, she ordered us all to the basement. Whitney, Ricki, and I, along with Jessica, her sister, fiance, and mother, descended into the basement with pillows, blankets, and a mattress. After a few minutes in the basement, the house lost power. Since we could no longer rely on weather bulletins from the television, Jessica's mom found an old radio, which she tuned to a local radio station. The radio station had abandoned their regular programming, and were instead playing the audio from the local news station. We quickly learned that a large tornado had been spotted, on the ground, very near where we were taking shelter. The weatherman on duty began telling everyone within the city of Tuscaloosa to take cover. He began running through a list of communities in the tornado's path. When I heard him say Taylorville (which is where we were taking shelter), I began to panic. Only later would we find out that his track of the storm was off by a couple of miles.
Since we believed that the tornado was about to bear down on us, we all crawled under the stairs in the basement. While we surrounded ourselves with pillows and blankets, Jessica's mom stood at a small window in an attempt to see the tornado. After a few moments at her post, she began yelling at us to stay put. She believed that what she was seeing was the tornado. The panic in her voice terrified me, and I remember holding tightly to Whitney. She could not help but to laugh at me, since my body was shaking. I had also been texting Matt throughout the entire ordeal, and he was aware of what was taking place in Tuscaloosa. He knew that the tornado was incredibly large, and very close to where we were taking shelter. He began to question me about whether we could hear or see anything. At one point I told him that Jessica's mom could see the tornado, and that he really needed to pray. Unfortunately, that was the last he heard from me for over 24 hours. After a few more moments had passed, Jessica's mom realized that the storm was moving away from us. She yelled at us to come to the window to look at the backside of the storm. Needless to say, it took a bit of coaxing to get me to come out!
Once the reality sunk in that there was a large tornado on the ground in Tuscaloosa, we all began trying to find out what areas of the city had been impacted. We had turned off the radio earlier in order to save batteries, and we quickly turned it back on so that we might hear news of the tornado's path. Though we did not know it at the time, the initial reports were full of false information. The radio reported that the mall, as well as the hospital, had taken direct hits. The tornado did cause minor damage at both of these places, but that initial report turned out to be false. As we learned that the tornado had indeed gone through the heart of the city, we began to worry about many of our friends and classmates. We all knew multiple people who lived in the path of the storm, and we frantically tried to reach them. Unfortunately, communication by cell phone or land line was virtually impossible. The cell tower nearest to mine and Ricki's apartment was lying in a twisted heap on the side of the highway, and since cell phones could not get service, most land land lines were jammed with callers. I tried at least twenty times to get in touch with Matt and my family, but my attempts were unsuccessful. I knew that they all would be incredibly worried, and I wanted to let them know that I was okay.
After several minutes of unsuccessful communication attempts, the land line phone at Jessica's house began to ring. Her mother quickly snatched up the receiver, and it became clear after a few moments that she was speaking with the hospital. Upon hanging up, she told us that all nurses were being dispatched to DCH to help triage the flood of injured that were expected to begin pouring into the hospital. She had been told that the hospital had only minor damage, but was without power. Power for all of the lifesaving equipment was being provided by a generator. She hurried upstairs to grab items that she would need to take with her to the hospital. Meanwhile, the radio station began warning listeners that another tornado was on the way. This tornado never materialized, but at the time we were very concerned that Jessica's mom was going to be on the road when the other tornado hit.
Since we were concerned that another storm was on its way, Ricki, Whitney, and I stayed in the basement until almost 7:00 PM. Once we felt as if the danger had passed, we began planning to drive back to Wesley's apartment. We still were unsure of the tornado's exact path, so we wanted to make sure to get back to Wesley's before dark. We knew there was a possibility that we would have to drive over downed power lines and debris, and this was something we definitely did not want to do in the dark. The tornado had actually crossed on the opposite side of our complex, so we were able to make it back without incident.
After arriving at Wesley's apartment, we all made the decision to spend the night together. None of us had power, and were all a bit shocked at what had taken place that afternoon. As the night stretched on, more friends arrived at Wesley's place. By this time, the communication lines were SLOWLY beginning to open. Though it was still incredibly difficult to communicate, it was possible to get out on the fourth or fifth attempt. Since North Alabama was also experiencing cell tower issues, I had a very hard time getting in touch with my family. I knew there was a possibility that Matt had called his parents, so I dialed his dad in the hopes that he might hold information on Matt's whereabouts.
I got through to Brian on the first try, and began peppering him with questions regarding Matt. It was obvious that he was not aware of the gravity of the situation in Tuscaloosa (or statewide), and seemed a bit surprised that I was calling. He told me that he had talked to Matt earlier in the day, but had not talked to him since. He promised to call me back if he were to hear anything, and I ended the phone call. I made one last ditch effort to contact my family, and was finally able to get through to my dad. At this time, my dad was working in Nashville, so he was well out of harm's way. I let him know that I was okay, and that mine and Ricki's apartment had not received any damage. He told me that he had been in contact with Matt, and that he was safe and planning to spend the night with a coworker. Dad also informed me that my mom had let her phone die earlier in the afternoon, so he had not been in touch with her in several hours. He was certain that she was safe, but he told me that I probably would not be able to get in touch with her for awhile. The last he had heard from her was that the wind had ripped our front screen door from the hinges, but that our house was not in the path of any of the day's many tornadoes.
I was so relieved to hear that my family was okay, but my thoughts quickly shifted to friends and classmates that were scattered across the city. By this time, we had learned that 15th Street and portions of McFarland Blvd. had taken a direct hit. I began trying to reach those that I knew in the impacted areas, but since several cell towers had been destroyed, my attempts were futile. Ricki was also trying to reach friends and classmates, and spent a large part of the night trying to reach her former roommate. We knew knew that Kayla lived right on 15th Street, and that she had most likely been impacted. We found out the next morning that she was okay, but her story of survival was, and is, incredible. Here is a link to her experience on April 27th: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1186008/index.htm , as well as that of many other UA athletes.
As we walked around outside of Wesley's apartment in an attempt to get cell phone service, I was struck by the surreal situation in which we found ourselves. Our entire complex, as well as most of the state, was without power. Many people in the surrounding buildings were rolling out grills, since cooking in any other fashion was out of the question. As the clouds moved off to the east, our complex turned into one giant cookout. Dozens of students were outside, holding their phones in every conceivable position in an attempt to reach friends and family members. I could tell by their outward acts of frustration that most of them were not having much success either. The thing that was the most unnerving, however, was the silence. Tuscaloosa had already been placed under a curfew, thus eliminating most traffic noise. Without power, the hum of appliances and electronics was missing. The complete and total silence made Tuscaloosa feel like some otherworldly place.
Most of us gave up pretty quickly on trying to reach friends and family via phone calls, when we realized that those with smart phones could access the internet. Instead of dialing out repeatedly, I could simply update my Facebook status to let my loved ones know that I was safe. It was through this initial check of Facebook that we learned that many of our friends and family members had made it through the day's storms. Facebook, as well as YouTube, also served to open our eyes to the horror of the day. Though many of us knew that the tornado had been monstrous, we did not truly realize its impact until we began viewing videos online.
Seeing pictures of the destruction online was shocking. As we clicked through pictures on Facebook, each of us was able to point out popular restaurants and businesses that had been reduced to a pile of rubble. Hokkaido, the restaurant where we had recently celebrated Matt's birthday, was gone. The Hobby Lobby, which I had frequented to buy wedding supplies, was gone. Summer Snow, one of our favorite places for shaved ice during the summer, was gone. The Express Lube, where I had been just the day before to have my oil changed, was gone. We looked through countless photos that night, and often someone would say "Wait, (insert business or part of the city) was destroyed too!" Every photo and video seemed to be more shocking than the last.
At some point during the wee hours of the morning, each of us claimed a section of floor in an attempt to get some sleep. By this point there were roughly ten of us in Wesley's apartment, so very few of us actually got any rest. On top of being unable to get into a comfortable position, I found myself unable to sleep because of all of the questions swirling around in my head. Did I know anyone who had been killed, injured, or had lost their home? Was my family, spread throughout the state of Alabama, okay? What was going to come of the rest of the semester? Would we finish our classes? Would I be allowed to graduate? The night was definitely a long and sleepless one.
When we all woke the next morning, we were all itching to drive to ground zero and help. Since a large part of the rescue and recovery effort had to wait for daylight, however, most volunteers were being kept out of the hardest hit areas. Since volunteering was not yet an option, we decided to venture out to find food and gas. As college kids, we were totally unprepared for a disaster of this magnitude. Most of the food that we did have was frozen, and since we had no power, we had no way to prepare it. Since finals were supposed to be taking place the next week, many of us had planned to grab dinner while on campus. Because we were planning to spend very little time at our respective apartments, none of us had picked up any groceries. Thankfully, finding food and gas was not as difficult as we had originally thought. Ricki and I were able to find gas at the second station we visited, and a McDonald's in a neighboring community was up and running. Finding a business with power also enabled me to charge my phone, and I was able to get into contact with my mom, and other family members, later that afternoon. After charging my phone, I was shocked to see how many calls and text messages I had missed. I had over twenty missed calls and seventy missed text messages. Seeing calls and texts from friends and family out of state, showed me that what had happened in Tuscaloosa was now a national news story.
After lunch, Ricki and I drove back to our apartment to shower. This everyday task was a bit difficult since both of our bathrooms were located in the interior of our apartment. With no windows or power, we had to shower by flashlight. Despite the inconvenience, I remember feeling blessed that the worst of my problems was a cold, dark, shower. So many people across the state no longer even had a toothbrush to their name!
Despite the fact that we could not yet volunteer, Ricki and I drove to campus to see if we could locate friends. Ricki had still not heard from her old roommate, so we planned to walk to Kayla's apartment to see if we could find out her status. While there, we also planned to view the devastation for ourselves. After parking at the baseball field, we began to walk towards 15th Street. As we neared the street, we were told that proof of residency was required to enter the damaged areas. Instead of trying to bluff our way through, we turned around and decided to walk to the top of the parking deck at DCH. We figured we would have a pretty good view of the city from the top of the hospital.
While I knew that the damage was horrific, I was not at all prepared for what I saw. Large portions of 15th Street and McFarland Blvd. were leveled. Many student apartments were also destroyed, including those where Ricki's friend lived. As we surveyed the devastation, neither of us spoke. There were no words that could even begin to describe what we were seeing and feeling. We also began to realize that many pieces of debris had fallen from the sky onto the parking deck on which we were standing. A couple of the items that were clearly out of place are pictured below.
An air conditioning vent from someone's home or business on the top
of the parking deck at DCH.
A mismatched pair of women's shoes on the top of the parking deck
at DCH.
After spending some time at the hospital, Ricki and I decided to head back to the car. As we came upon the baseball field, Ricki recognized a few of her friends from the baseball team. The team had been out clearing debris all morning, and was meeting at the field for a team lunch. As Ricki engaged the guys in conversation, we discovered that many of them had been directly affected by the tornado. A few of them had lost homes, and had spent the day trying to salvage what little remained of their possessions. One player mentioned that his neighbors, two female students, had lost their lives. He spoke of being at home when their families stopped by the house to find dresses in which to bury them. The stories we heard that day were heartbreaking, and only the first of similar stories that we would continue to hear over the next two months.
Since neither of us wanted to sit in our dark apartment all night, we drove further out of town to stay with a friend from church. Dana's family had power, and were nice enough to feed and house us for the night. For the first time in a day and a half, we were able to think about something other than the tornado. The royal wedding was on TV, and it was strange to see that life was continuing as normal in most places, while the state of Alabama had come to a standstill. Despite the availability of alternative programming, we watched tornado coverage on CNN for most of the evening.While at Dana's I was also finally able to get in touch with Matt. Until he answered the phone, I had no idea how badly I had needed to hear his voice. As soon as he said hello, I began to cry. My tears were a result of mixed emotions. I was so happy that my family, friends, and home were safe, but my heart was so heavy for the people who had lost so very much. As Matt and I swapped stories from the past 24 hours, we decided that he should come to Tuscaloosa. I wanted to stay in town to volunteer, and I needed Matt to see the things that I was seeing. I knew he could not understand how bad things were unless he saw the city for himself. Matt loves Tuscaloosa more than his own hometown, so I knew that it would be important to him to be able to serve the city. Plus, we both knew that school would not resume for some time, so we were assured that he would not have to miss work.
After a relaxing evening and a good night's sleep at Dana's, Ricki and I woke up eager to volunteer. Since large scale relief efforts had not yet been coordinated, we drove to the Forest Lake subdivision, determined to help whoever needed it most. We parked at what used to be a Church of Christ on Hargrove Road, and met up with several other friends from our church, Calvary Baptist.
Having lived on Hargrove Road my first year in Tuscaloosa, I was shocked at how different everything looked. I knew many of those roads like the back of my hand, but with so many landmarks missing, I often found myself confused as to my actual location. The area looked like a bombed out movie set, complete with National Guardsmen holding massive guns.
At the third or fourth house we came too, we found a family who needed help packing up their salvageable belongings. Thankfully, this family had not been at home when the tornado struck. Though many of the inner walls of their home were still standing, a massive oak tree had fallen right through the middle of their home. They were unsure as to whether or not their home would be able to be salvaged. I spent the majority of my afternoon with this family, even as other members of our group moved on to offer assistance elsewhere.
As I spent the afternoon packing books, collectibles, and various other items, I realized how ill-prepared I was to be working in such a heavily damaged area. I had not even remembered to bring gloves! Needless to say, a close friend spent a considerable amount of time picking tiny glass shards out of my hands later that evening! I was not the only member of our group who had shown up unprepared that day, so as curfew approached in Forest Lake, we all drove directly to Lowe's. While there, we picked up gloves, face masks, and other tools that would aid in cleanup. After leaving Lowe's we all went home to get some rest. I can't speak for the others, but I had not completed that much manual labor in a very long time!
The next morning brought more opportunities to serve, as well as more hands eager to help. Matt arrived early Saturday morning, as well as our friend Scott, and my brother. My brother Ethan, who at the time was a student at Auburn University, lived in an area that had not been impacted by Wednesday's storms. Despite the fact that his finals began in two days, he drove three hours to spend his weekend serving the people of Tuscaloosa.
Since volunteer efforts were still being coordinated, our group drove to the same area where we had worked the day before. By this time, volunteers had arrived from across the nation. The Forest Lake area was swarming with volunteers, and we had to walk deep into the subdivision to find families that were not already being assisted. As we walked, Ethan pulled out his video camera and shot the videos below. These videos provide a pretty good look at what Tuscaloosa looked like three days after the storm.
What remained of 15th Street, a main road in Tuscaloosa, two
days after the storm.
Homes in the Forest Lake subdivision two days after the storm.
More Forest Lake
Video of the Tuscaloosa tornado from UA's basketball arena
(Coleman Coliseum)
After walking for a half mile or so, we ran across a family who asked for assistance packing up what remained of their belongings. Neil and Christine, whom we worked alongside on Saturday, had lived in Forest Lake for more than a decade. Unfortunately, their home was a complete loss. While we were there that day, Christine came to the realization that her house would need to be torn down in the coming weeks. It was emotional for everyone as she mourned the place that she and her husband had called home for so many years. It was obvious, even when looking at what was left of Neil and Christine's home, that their house had been absolutely beautiful. During work breaks, Neil told us stories about kayaking on the lake late in the evenings, and enjoying coffee on the dock before work in the mornings. Later that same day, we found Neil's kayak under a tree, partially submerged in the lake. Remarkably, it was still in working order!
Though the house was a total loss, we were able to help Neil and Christine salvage many of their belongings. We spent most of the day packing boxes and making trips to a storage facility. The work was exhausting, but it was one of my favorite days of tornado relief work. When we broke for lunch midday, Neil encouraged us to walk a few streets over to eat a meal provided by local churches. When we arrived at the church, I realized that people were coming from across the country to serve those impacted by the storms in Tuscaloosa. We were fed lunch that day by a mission team from Missouri, and over the next two months, I would continue to be amazed at the distance that many traveled to simply lend a hand for a day or two.
As the weekend progressed, many local churches and relief organizations began coordinating efforts that focused on long term recovery. By Sunday, our church, Calvary Baptist, was reaching out to the community in a plethora of ways. Before leaving the church to serve the city that Sunday, our worship leader led the congregation in Chris Tomlin's "God of this City," and as the song ended, there was not a dry eye in the entire building. For those not familiar with the song, I encourage you to look it up and take a listen. The lyrics truly resonated with those of us who had been serving the city over the last several days. The song begins with "You are God of this City, You are King of these people." For many of us who had witnessed so much death and destruction in the preceding days, it was comforting to take a few minutes to pause and recognize that God was still in control. No matter how many homes had been destroyed, or no matter how much higher the death toll would continue to rise, we knew that we followed a God who was so much bigger than everything we were seeing. The chorus of the song was also comforting as Tuscaloosa looked ahead to the cleanup and rebuilding process. As we sang "Greater things are yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city," we knew that it was important to focus on the long term; to be prepared to stand beside and serve the city after the television cameras left and most of the country forgot about April 27th. The brief thirty minutes or so that we spent in prayer and worship was one of the most powerful worship experiences of which I have ever been a part. I had never before been so proud of my church.
As we left the worship center that Sunday, it was difficult to decide which service opportunity in which to participate. There was the option to work in childcare, which involved keeping the children of families who had been impacted by the storm, or the children of those who simply wished to volunteer for a day. There was the option to write thank you notes and create goody bags for the rescue workers who were working around the clock in various communities around the city. Many of the men in the church fired up chainsaws, and worked for hours removing downed trees from homes around the city. The college ministry ran the Convoy of Hope, which was an 18-wheeler stuffed to the gills with food, water, laundry detergent, baby supplies, and cleaning products. Those who had been impacted by the storm could come by the truck for a free trunk load of supplies and a prayer for provision in the coming months.
On that particular Sunday, I chose to go to Martin Luther King Elementary School. Since three schools had been destroyed by the tornado, other local schools had to prepare to welcome hundreds of new students. Along with a few other girls from the college ministry, I spent the afternoon arranging desks, wiping down surfaces, and attempting to create a welcoming environment for those students forced to change schools. It was incredible to see how quickly everyone had mobilized, and the school was ready to take on new students by the end of the day.
Looking back on those first few days after the storm, I cannot help but to be amazed at how well everyone worked together. What is even more incredible to me, is that that spirit of service to one's neighbor seemed to hold throughout the entire summer. As people began to have their immediate needs addressed, churches and organizations around the city began to focus on meeting the long term needs of those impacted. These things included finding new dwellings for those who had lost their homes, finding alternative means of employment for those whose workplaces were destroyed, and providing people with the material things that were needed for comfortable day to day living.
As the relief efforts began moving into a new direction, I began volunteering with the Calvary Baptist move-in crew. Since my finals and student teaching had been cancelled for the semester, I was available to volunteer almost every day of the week. A typical day working with the move-in crew began at 9am, and ended when we had dropped off the last piece of furniture for the day (usually around 5 PM). Initially, our church signed on to support 25 families, but as the summer progressed, that number grew to more than 85. Adopting these families meant that our church would be locating homes or apartments for displaced families, as well as replacing everything that they had lost. Through the generous donations of church members and others around the country, we were able to provide over 85 families with furniture, dishes, clothing, bedding, toys, etc. In addition to filling a home, our church paid the bills for these families for the three months following the storm. For many families, this was much needed, since their places of employment were taken away by the winds.
To say that I was blessed by this ministry would be the understatement of the year. I have never felt closer to God and more connected to my friends and fellow church members than I did over those two months. Some days were difficult, such as when we dealt with ungrateful recipients or worked with families grieving the loss of multiple family members. Other days were easy, such as when we would work with families with a house full of children or others who had unusually high spirits despite the course that their life had taken on April 27th. Our time moving in families was not all work, either. I remember countless ICEE runs, City Cafe lunches, and all out prank wars between furniture in the youth building. If those 85 families were even half as blessed over those few months as I was, then all of the sweat and sore muscles were well worth it.
Two people that I got the opportunity to know over the course of those two months were Tricia Perkins and Billy Hatmaker. These two incredible people were responsible for coordinating everything that we did on the move-in crew that summer. They found families that needed help, and the resources to help those that needed assistance. Though this may not sound like a complicated job, it took organization and patience like you would not believe. Since we were receiving money and supplies from across the nation, Billy and Tricia had their hands full. Not only did these materials need to be inventoried, but they also had to be matched with those in the community who needed them. Most days Billy and Tricia arrived before the rest of us, and were still at the church when we would leave each day. I consider it a blessing to have had the opportunity to have worked beside them all summer.
The memories that I wrote about in this blog are just snippets of things that I remember from April 27th and the months that followed (I know you're thinking, "Snippets?! This was practically a dissertation!"). It was important to me to get at least some of my memories on paper before the approach of the one year anniversary. April 27th is a day that I will never forget, and I am forever changed by the sights that I witnessed, the people that I met, and those that I was blessed to serve in the days following the tornado. Though I left out many details in the telling of my story, I hope that the photos below will help to fill in the gap.
Please continue to pray for those impacted by the storms of last April. Recovery from storms such as the one faced by the citizens of Tuscaloosa, often takes years. In fact, one year later, many people are only now beginning to rebuild their homes and businesses. Also, continue to pray for those who lost loved ones on that awful day. Though Tuscaloosa received the majority of the news coverage, dozens of other towns across the state were wiped off the map by massive tornadoes on that horrifying day. There are 250 families across the state who continue to grieve the losses of their mothers, fathers, children, spouses, friends, and other loved ones. I pray that we never forget that day. We are Alabama.
Pictures from the days following the tornado:
Messages such as this one could be seen all over Tuscaloosa
in the days following the storm.
This picture shows the power of the winds. This is a piece of
2X4 that has pieced through a cinder block wall.
15th Street in Tuscaloosa. This street is normally very busy,
and was formerly full of businesses and restaurants.
Thankfully their were zero fatalities at this home.
What used to be a subdivision.
A SUV, post tornado.
Just another hot and humid day with the move-in crew!
Sweet friends, after a day of working in Forest Lake.
The summer move-in crew!
Just a few of the inventoried items that went out to those
in Tuscaloosa one day.
I wish I had kept a count of how many mattresses we moved
last summer! I think we moved more mattresses than Mattress King.
Loading the trailer for a delivery!
Amen. Just one of many inspirational quotes (and bible verses)
that graced the white board in the youth center last summer.
With Jojuan and Mr. Hatmaker. Two of the most hardworking
and uplifting men that I had the privilege to work alongside
last summer.
May we never forget. 4/27/11
