Devastating Tornado Damage in Tuscaloosa

[BamaHoosier]

Sorry if this has been posted. A friend just sent me this link of a helicopter following the Tornado's path through T-Town. This just breaks my heart.

That breaks my heart also. To think that that used to be my home, now I can't even recognize anything that I see, it just tears me up. It's almost a miracle that anyone could survive that devastation. It's just unreal.

 

[Luvubama]

I just got back from Tuscaloosa. Some friends and I loaded up the truck with bottled water, bought some trash bags and gloves, and headed that way. We started seeing the damages as soon as we got close to town on 82. We tried to hook up with some volunteer groups, but the whole thing was poorly run and the Red Cross wasn't taking any more volunteers. There were literally hundreds of people who had driven into town to try and help and parked in the median.

We circled around and drove into downtown. Then we parked at Central High School and walked down 15th Street with as many cases of water as we could carry. We made our way down Hargrove Ave into the neighborhoods that were hit. I can't describe it. Not really. I teared up when I saw how awful it was. That whole neighborhood is completely destroyed. They will have to bulldoze it all. Central Church of Christ, which I attended when I went to school and worked in Tuscaloosa, is basically no more. We walked around, passing out waters to people who were trying to salvage something out of their houses, listening to stories and praying with people. We hooked up with one family who had the middle of their home destroyed. Spent the day helping them gather things up and nail boards across the windows to try and prevent looting. When we finished, we dropped off the waters that we had left in the truck at the Rec Center.

It was emotionally draining to see Tuscaloosa in that shape, but I was deeply moved by the number of people who came to help. But the scars that tornado left will remain for many years to come.

I've been in tears for the last day + and thought I was done but read this post. I too attended that church when I was there and I'm just speechless. This is so bad. I wish I was closer to help...physically. Will reach out otherwise...

 

[FitToBeTide]

I will be going down to (what's left of) Phil Campbell early Friday morning with our Association So. Baptist Disaster Relief chainsaw, cleanup and recovery unit. Those folks down there were busted about as hard as it gets. 'Preciate covering prayers for all the workers trying to help.

 

[TideMan09]

Here's an article from The Anniston Star about the damage in the Ohatchee area..It states..

"Along Lake Neely Henry on the Coosa River in Ohatchee, crews were searching the water for residents who may have been blown into the lake by the storm"..

I'm at a loss for words..The widespread damage across Alabama is unheard of..

Here's the link..Click Me

 

[92tide]

I just got back from Tuscaloosa. Some friends and I loaded up the truck with bottled water, bought some trash bags and gloves, and headed that way. We started seeing the damages as soon as we got close to town on 82. We tried to hook up with some volunteer groups, but the whole thing was poorly run and the Red Cross wasn't taking any more volunteers. There were literally hundreds of people who had driven into town to try and help and parked in the median.

We circled around and drove into downtown. Then we parked at Central High School and walked down 15th Street with as many cases of water as we could carry. We made our way down Hargrove Ave into the neighborhoods that were hit. I can't describe it. Not really. I teared up when I saw how awful it was. That whole neighborhood is completely destroyed. They will have to bulldoze it all. Central Church of Christ, which I attended when I went to school and worked in Tuscaloosa, is basically no more. We walked around, passing out waters to people who were trying to salvage something out of their houses, listening to stories and praying with people. We hooked up with one family who had the middle of their home destroyed. Spent the day helping them gather things up and nail boards across the windows to try and prevent looting. When we finished, we dropped off the waters that we had left in the truck at the Rec Center.

It was emotionally draining to see Tuscaloosa in that shape, but I was deeply moved by the number of people who came to help. But the scars that tornado left will remain for many years to come.

did you by any chance see what condition forest lake baptist was in? my dad grew up in forest lake and my grandparents lived there until they passed. that was their church. i spent a lot of my childhood playing all around that neighborhood

 

[bamanut_aj]

I will be going down to (what's left of) Phil Campbell early Friday morning with our Association So. Baptist Disaster Relief chainsaw, cleanup and recovery unit. Those folks down there were busted about as hard as it gets. 'Preciate covering prayers for all the workers trying to help.

please update us.

 

[Tide1986]

Anybody know the status of Bent Tree and Fountain Square apartments? I lived in Bent Tree and had many friends in Fountain Square back when I was in school.

 

[92tide]

Anybody know the status of Bent Tree and Fountain Square apartments? I lived in Bent Tree and had many friends in Fountain Square back when I was in school.

do you mean fountainbleu apts down on 27th? if so, you can see them in the flyover video about 2/3 of the way through. one of the corners was flattened

 

[92tide]

Not sure. There are two other churches in that Hargrove area that we passed. Both were heavily damaged.

Also, big props to Moe's. They sent out guys with big bags of burritos and were handing them out to anyone who wanted them.

yeah, i don't think much in that neighborhood made it.

 

[Tide1986]

do you mean fountainbleu apts down on 27th? if so, you can see them in the flyover video about 2/3 of the way through. one of the corners was flattened

Fountain Square was across a side street from Bent Tree...I don't remember the name of the road that separated the two.

 

[bamacon]

did you by any chance see what condition forest lake baptist was in? my dad grew up in forest lake and my grandparents lived there until they passed. that was their church. i spent a lot of my childhood playing all around that neighborhood

92,

that is where we went first. It was largely spared. Structurely it was as sound as it could be. Looking at the front the back right corner took a hit but nothing like University Place School which had the entire back half destroyed. All the houses behind the church to the left of the front took the brunt of the damage.

 

[Mob-Bama]

New Orleans got all the national media attention but they were on the left side of Katrina.

Had they built their levees correctly they wouldn't have even had damage because Katrina hit the Mississippi Coast and not New Orleans.

That's not known by many but it's the truth.

I know that to be the truth too. Mississippi bore the brunt of Katrina & we surely felt it here in Mobile also.

 

[92tide]

92,

that is where we went first. It was largely spared. Structurely it was as sound as it could be. Looking at the front the back right corner took a hit but nothing like University Place School which had the entire back half destroyed. All the houses behind the church to the left of the front took the brunt of the damage.

thx. i saw a picture of university place but i couldn't make anything out on FLBC.

 

[bamacon]

I know that to be the truth too. Mississippi bore the brunt of Katrina & we surely felt it here in Mobile also.

Yeah, I've got a water line picture on the second story of what was left of my grandparents house on Mobile Bay to prove that.

 

[92tide]

Fountain Square was across a side street from Bent Tree...I don't remember the name of the road that separated the two.

ok i think i know the ones you're talking about.

 

[bamacon]

thx. i saw a picture of university place but i couldn't make anything out on FLBC.

A group of guys we were meeting helped them board up everything and crews were already on the worst damage as well. Forest Lake was unbelievable. THere is literally nothing left. We saw one house that even had the basement ripped up. I can't imagine how truly terrifying it was to have been there. I also don't see how anyone could have survived if that was where they were.

 

[Rama Jama]

Some people asked about a couple of places.

Central high seems to be fine.

Fountain Square and Bent tree are Ok as far as I can tell. They won't let you go down very far on 10th.

 

[Black Warrior]

A group of guys we were meeting helped them board up everything and crews were already on the worst damage as well. Forest Lake was unbelievable. THere is literally nothing left. We saw one house that even had the basement ripped up. I can't imagine how truly terrifying it was to have been there. I also don't see how anyone could have survived if that was where they were.

My Aunt used to have the house on Forrest Lake where the little island with the big Christmas Tree was. I remember how beautiful that was each Christmas all lit up and reflecting in the lake. That house was full of family memorabilia going back several generations. She passed on years ago but that house is, or was still in the family. From the flyover, it seems to no longer exist. So much lost. So very tragic...

 

[BamaFanTraeInGeorgia]

Our prayers are with you all.

 

[Nittany Ed]

I just want to express my deepest sympathy to all of the fine Alabama people I met on my trip to T-town last September. The hospitality was second to none, and it is so sad that the fine people of this region, and throughout all of the South for that matter, have had to endure this tragedy.

I know there is little I can say that will ease your pain and suffering, but do know that there are people from other parts of the Country who are thinking of you in this time of need.

God Bless, Nittany Ed