Tornadoes ftl

[FunPhish]

So it's probobly pretty obvious from my profile pic, but i'm from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. If you pay any attention to the news you obviously know recently my town was more or less demolished by an ef4 tornado that ripped through the entire state. I live on the edge of Alberta, one of the most hard hit areas in Tuscaloosa county. Over the last few days i've felt like i'm in a movie about a hurricane or something, i've seen some of the most graphic things scenes i've ever witnessed real or otherwise. I've spent all my time since the storm hit trying to recover my own belongings while helping in any way I can. I have way too many photos to begin to post, but here's what my bed looks like.

 

 

I made this thread just to make people aware of the situation, or maybe talk to someone else effected by this disaster.

[H2PM]

I'm pretty sure a lot of people are aware. That really sucks man, but at least you rode the storm out a okay.

You can replace valuables, you can't replace lives.

[Dizzle229]

Glad to hear you're ok.

 

 

...at least you have a skylight now.

 

[FunPhish]

My boss lives about 200 yards behind me and his house is flat, he lost his 4 year old niece and his mother is still in the hospital. It's sad because you grow up in the area being taught go to the middle of the house, no windows, maybe in a closet. But this storm was so powerful, if it hit your house you stood no chance. Even in the middle of the house in a safe room, it didn't matter, it was taking everything.

[Orpheus]

Sucks, but there was nothing that you really could do. Hope everything for you gets better.

[Diesel]

My heart goes out to you and all of those affected by the tornadoes these past few weeks. I can't even imagine what you all are going through.

 

We escaped fairly unscathed during this round of bad weather. We had 2 or so tornado warnings, but the closest confirmed tornadoes were in Northern Kentucky.

 

Question: Does you/your boss have a basement? I heard one of the bigger problems was that many houses did not have basements.

[H2PM]

I love tornadoes in unpopulated areas/open fields. I think they are beautiful creations of nature, but I don't like it when they go through populated areas. That's when they become ugly and very scary.

[FunPhish]

My heart goes out to you and all of those affected by the tornadoes these past few weeks. I can't even imagine what you all are going through.

 

We escaped fairly unscathed during this round of bad weather. We had 2 or so tornado warnings, but the closest confirmed tornadoes were in Northern Kentucky.

 

Question: Does you/your boss have a basement? I heard one of the bigger problems was that many houses did not have basements.

 

Alberta, the area my boss and I live in, is a pretty low-income area. It's not too common for houses around here to have basements. Honestly I don't know that that would have helped, there are 2 story brick apartment buildings that got reduced to ruble, as well as Alberta Elementary, which i've always looked at as a stable structure.

 

Looking at the path the tornado took, it's almost as if it was feeding on high populated areas. After it hit my house it was heading for basically just woods when it turned hard left back into the Alberta area. That's what makes this tornado unique, we have usually 1 a year but rarely this powerful and NEVER through high populated areas like this.

[FunPhish]

This is from 15th street, by far one of our towns busiest retail areas. At the end of the video the tornado was probably about 300 yards from hitting me, not that you can see that though.

It gets pretty epic around 5 minutes.

[Omar]

Good luck with everything.

[Lenticular_J]

Man, that's rough. I grew up south of Amarillo, and while we'd have a couple tornadoes a week in late spring, the only damage was the occasional cattle tossed around. One tornado passed by us, once - it was tiny, but we lived in a trailer house and it trashed part of our roof. Worse, though, it stole our trampoline...

 

I wish I could help. Tornadoes are one force of nature that, while beautiful, are completely terrible. I'm interested in Texas' upcoming twister season.

[The Dark Lord]

A tornado damaged my old highschool pretty severely. Glad I graduated last year.

 

I was actually eating dinner when the lights went out. I had to run to a safe place when the all hell broke loose and I thought the winds would blow the windows out of my house. Guess I should have taken cover sooner. =\

[Nadril]

A good friend of mine lives in Alabama where the tornado hit. Missed his house by 100 yards.

[RSBDavid]

I was effected by the following when I was 13/14:

 

(from 1:10 on)

 

 

Took out my roof and front yard ( Sucked up grass). We were at a neighbors house who had a storm cellar under their basement (Retired veteran who was prepared for nuclear war). An interior room is not good enough for anything about EF-2 tornadoes. ef3 take walls out, EF-4 throws walls around, and EF-5 sucks everything except the foundation off the ground. They should mandate people living in high tornado frequent areas to have a cellar or basement.