Prayers for Alabama

[Amlee]

I am sure they were doing their best. I feel so bad for all them.

I think the biggest one that hit Alabama in the most recent years was the F5 that hit in April of 1998. I was living in New Orleans at the time. I know it hit Oak Grove and the western part of Jefferson county and I think some of St. Clair county if I am not mistaken. That was so horrible.

Yup, that is one of the worst in Alabama history. I remember ABC33/40 had just put up it's T-town camera. I started watching when the storm came across the MS/AL line. It was HUGE! It went through T-town, then on to the McDonald Chapel, Concord, Oak Grove area. Then crossed I-65 at the junction. Missing Downtown by not even a mile. My uncles work at a steel plant off 20/59 and 31/280. A friend of mine also worked 2nd shifts there. He called my uncle and told him that my aunts explore was gone. The tornado had picked it up out of the parking lot and then slammed it down across the parking lot. It then hit the plant ripping the roof off. It went across the airport area and ripped into Pell City.

I call those deaths really preventable. As the that storm crossed the state line as a tornado and people had any where from an hour to two hours warning.

They just said that the Enterprise tornado warning was issued at 12:45, but the tornado it's self didn't hit the school until 1:15. So they had a 30 minute warning.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

Yup, that is one of the worst in Alabama history. I remember ABC33/40 had just put up it's T-town camera. I started watching when the storm came across the MS/AL line. It was HUGE! It went through T-town, then on to the McDonald Chapel, Concord, Oak Grove area. Then crossed I-65 at the junction. Missing Downtown by not even a mile. My uncles work at a steel plant off 20/59 and 31/280. A friend of mine also worked 2nd shifts there. He called my uncle and told him that my aunts explore was gone. The tornado had picked it up out of the parking lot and then slammed it down across the parking lot. It then hit the plant ripping the roof off. It went across the airport area and ripped into Pell City.

I call those deaths really preventable. As the that storm crossed the state line as a tornado and people had any where from an hour to two hours warning.

They just said that the Enterprise tornado warning was issued at 12:45, but the tornado it's self didn't hit the school until 1:15. So they had a 30 minute warning.

That reminds me of the one that hit Tuscaloosa in 2000. One of the tv stations in B'ham had just gotten their own storm chasing van to do these reports. Well by golly that tornado almost ran those guys over! They had to run into a hotel just as it was hitting them. Sure made a mess of their brand new van! They showed a monitor through the sliding door that was absolutely wrecked.

Of course we were having fun at the hospital that day. Especially since our daughter was on a special line to her head that was for draining her extra CS fluid. We had to push her in the chair as close to the door and just hope that it didnt hit the hospital. (The nurses didn't want to put her in the hall due to possible infection risk!) And, my dad had our son at the McWane Sci. Center while this was going on. They made all of them go to their basement.
Got a whole new view of the building!
Kim

 

[Amlee]

That reminds me of the one that hit Tuscaloosa in 2000. One of the tv stations in B'ham had just gotten their own storm chasing van to do these reports. Well by golly that tornado almost ran those guys over! They had to run into a hotel just as it was hitting them. Sure made a mess of their brand new van! They showed a monitor through the sliding door that was absolutely wrecked.

Of course we were having fun at the hospital that day. Especially since our daughter was on a special line to her head that was for draining her extra CS fluid. We had to push her in the chair as close to the door and just hope that it didnt hit the hospital. (The nurses didn't want to put her in the hall due to possible infection risk!) And, my dad had our son at the McWane Sci. Center while this was going on. They made all of them go to their basement.
Got a whole new view of the building!
Kim

Same tv station for both storms. That was John Oldshue that got caught in the hotel with his camera guy. I was watching that one also. James Spann was yelling at John to take cover. You could here them running and yelling at the hotel people as it came over them.

When I was a kid (9 years old), I was at a field trip to Montgomery. My group had walked outside the captial building to go to the Jeffereson Davis house. When the tornado sirens went off. The girl giving us the tour didn't know what is was. I'm like well duh! I tell her what it is. About that time our teacher comes running out to get us. They take us into this bomb shelter under the capital. There was hunderds of kids from different schools down there. Our class got a special award sent to us by the govenor, for the way we acted during the storm. We knew what to do, how to do it and to remain quiet during the storm. Not so much for the rest of the schools there.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

Same tv station for both storms. That was John Oldshue that got caught in the hotel with his camera guy. I was watching that one also. James Spann was yelling at John to take cover. You could here them running and yelling at the hotel people as it came over them.

When I was a kid (9 years old), I was at a field trip to Montgomery. My group had walked outside the captial building to go to the Jeffereson Davis house. When the tornado sirens went off. The girl giving us the tour didn't know what is was. I'm like well duh! I tell her what it is. About that time our teacher comes running out to get us. They take us into this bomb shelter under the capital. There was hunderds of kids from different schools down there. Our class got a special award sent to us by the govenor, for the way we acted during the storm. We knew what to do, how to do it and to remain quiet during the storm. Not so much for the rest of the schools there.

That's the good thing about the downtown. Plenty of bomb shelters down there! My DH works in the one on the north side of the capitol, and he is in the basement there. No problems for them when tornado sirens go off!
Kim

 

[dvcfamily41801]

My thoughts are with them.

 

[LouDisney]

Yup, that is one of the worst in Alabama history. I remember ABC33/40 had just put up it's T-town camera. I started watching when the storm came across the MS/AL line. It was HUGE! It went through T-town, then on to the McDonald Chapel, Concord, Oak Grove area. Then crossed I-65 at the junction. Missing Downtown by not even a mile. My uncles work at a steel plant off 20/59 and 31/280. A friend of mine also worked 2nd shifts there. He called my uncle and told him that my aunts explore was gone. The tornado had picked it up out of the parking lot and then slammed it down across the parking lot. It then hit the plant ripping the roof off. It went across the airport area and ripped into Pell City.

I call those deaths really preventable. As the that storm crossed the state line as a tornado and people had any where from an hour to two hours warning.

They just said that the Enterprise tornado warning was issued at 12:45, but the tornado it's self didn't hit the school until 1:15. So they had a 30 minute warning.

I remember them saying it barely miss downtown. That would have been horrible, it was horrible what happened period, but if a tornado that size hit a populated area like downtown...I shutter to think.

I feel bad for everyone affected by the storm. I heard a hospital was damaged in GA...my thoughts and prayers for the people in GA.

 

[TTFN]

One thing Huntsville discovered during the 1989 tornado that destroyed my children's elementary school: those long school hallways become wind tunnels during this weather. When Jones Valley was rebuilt, there was not a long straight hall in the building. (That tornado struck after school hours; the children in afterschool care, their teachers and some painters were in the building. No one in the school was killed.)

 

[rcraw45425]

The hospital was in Americus GA, but they're not showing any injuries from there. They did move the patients to other facillities

 

[catherine]

I've just seen this on the news it looks horrendous. My heart goes out to all those that were involved in this and the parents of those poor children!

 

[Amlee]

One thing Huntsville discovered during the 1989 tornado that destroyed my children's elementary school: those long school hallways become wind tunnels during this weather. When Jones Valley was rebuilt, there was not a long straight hall in the building. (That tornado struck after school hours; the children in afterschool care, their teachers and some painters were in the building. No one in the school was killed.)

I remember that one also. I have to say it was the strangest day I can remember. It was Feb and we were out in our shorts playing in the neighbors yard. It was HOT! At the time we were living in North Cullman and you could see the clouds here start pulling to that storm. They turned a pink/purple cotton candy color and look about them. I remember standing in the yard watching the clouds. My mother came running out of the house screaming tornado! We were raised not to ask where, just run! So I took off for the house. By night fall it was snowing like crazy.

 

[Amlee]

The hospital was in Americus GA, but they're not showing any injuries from there. They did move the patients to other facillities

The Today show is reporting 2 deaths at the hospital. So sad!

 

[Amlee]

The state sent down the DMORT truck which is located here. It's basicly a funeral home on wheels. The truck and 8 people left last night at the request of the Coffee County EMA. This same truck went to Slidell, LA to help in the recovery efforts down there after Katrina.

 

[Amlee]

WTH was that report thinking? He asked when the names and pictures of those kids who died would be released?