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May. 6th, 2011 02:30 amHi kids.
So. yeah. I live in Pleasant Grove Alabama. Appearantly my little town has been making quite a news story recently. I wouldn't know. We're kinda cut off from the rest of the wrold right now.
Here's my story. Only gonna tell it once, and it''s going to be a piss-poor storytelling job 'cause it's 1:30 in the morning and I need to be asleep but I can't sleep 'cause I've got all this stuff running through my noggin that needs to be let out.
We knew the bastard was coming. We had early warning. Massive early warning. I woke up that morning knowing that there was going to be some kickass weather later in the day. I follow James Spann's tweets (for those of you who live in Kentucky or somewhere who doesn't know who James Spann is, he's the best local weatherguy. Ever) and the moment I woke up I looked at my phone and my phone was telling me that James Spann was telling me that the storm was on path for Tuscaloosa alabama. Fucking nailed it, Jimmie Spann.
So, yeah. Wasn't like we weren't prepared. My sis even took off work early so she'd be here to be in a sake place. hahaha. should've stayed at work. Her work was safer than this place.
So 5:00ish rolls around. We've had an early dinner, cause, like I said, we knew it was coming. And we're watching Jimmie Spann. And there the motherfucker is, in Tuscaloosa, barrelling through the city on live television for everyone to see. And that was scary. Really scary. Cause I knew I was watching people die.
Fifteen to twenty minutes later we got word it was in Hueytown. And I thought I might have time to get the chicken in the microwave so it wouldn't spoil. Thought I might have some time. We had the big curtains in the living room open to see outside. It got real dark real quick. I got downstairs real quick. My sister and I are looking out the two windows in the basement. And that dark cloud starts to move. I don't recall the sound. People talk about the sound of a train. I don't recall that. I just recall watching the dark cloud start to move, and then see stuff fly by the window. Just little bits of trash at first. Just enough for me to think there was some wind. Something you might see on a windy day. But the speed at which it the wind increased was breathtaking. One minute I was able to see the house across the street, the next second I wasn't. And that was when I piled into the closet I had prepared for tornadoes. Probably a bit late, but it was very fascinating. That's my excuse.
If I had had my iphone, I would had recorded video of the whole thing. I'm pretty sure of it. instead I told my sister to record it, and she took a video that accurately depicts the terror of the event. not a good video of the tornado. A very good video of the terror that acompanies it. I still don't have it, by the way.
When it had passed, we took check of ourselves. Made note that we were physically okay. Mentally a bit shaken. It had blown the basement door open, but the chain latch had held, so the dogs weren't running free. I looked outside the basement door and saw there was a tree laying in front of it. That's good to know.
Went upstairs, opened the front door, there was chaos in the streets. Houses were damaged and destroyed very close to us. Very, very close to us. I estimate 150 paces from our front door, there is a house that has been shredded. All other houses around ours had significant roof damage at the very least.
Our damage: Three shutters were torn off the windows, one is missing. Two gutters were torn down. Some shingles were torn from the roof, but no major roof damage. No holes in the roof -- no leaks when it rains. Four of our trees were blown down, with several more of our neighbor's trees in our yard - none hit the house or cars. Fence is ruined. Two of our neighbor's storage buildings blew into our yard. Our storage building has several dime-sized holes in it that can easily be patched. Cars were banged up but are drivable.
We are extremely lucky. We were without power for five days, with blackouts throughout the days since we've had power, and we still don't have internet or television or phones, but considering what happened less than a mile away, I am not complaining.
Less than an hour after we stepped outside after the tornado, panicked people ran down my street asking for medical assistance. Someone was bleeding to death. On my street. We later learned the guy had died. That put things into perspective for me and I haven't complained about too much since.
Next day my sis and I took a walk around the old neighborhood. We took pictures of the craziness. Well, she did. It got to the point where I felt like a tourist taking mementos of other people's suffering, and I put my camera away. Seemed like a really tacky thing to do.
That was the day I started seeing the endless drove of people helping other people. It didn't stop. It was awesome and fantastic. I couldn't walk outside my house for 30 seconds without someone offering me something to eat or drink. I never accepted, cause 1) I try to be highly independent, and 2) we didn't need it and others certainly did. But it doesn't make it any less awesome that people organized themselves so quickly and got the support systems up so quickly and efficiently.
I have a lot to say about that, but now isn't the time. Last time I was hit by a tornado -- 1998 -- I was struck by the same thing. The willingness of people to help when other people are down. Mainly church groups that do that. I've kicked that idea around in my head ever since, and now I'm seeing it again, and even more feverishly this time. Like I said... I have a LOT to say about this, but now isn't the time.
But, yeah. lot on my mind. Hard to sleep the last week. Just thought about it for a second and I think Ive lost a LOT of sleep. The only way I can sleep is with a sleep aid and that doesnt seem to work too well. it's not that I'm mentally effected by the tornado or anything. Dont take it like that. I just think about everything that needs to be done and I start to wig out. get the jitters.
There is beer in the refigerator. We still have a deck. (the steps to it have been raised about a foot off the ground from the rootball of the tree that landed in front of the basement door. but we still have a deck.) I think I'll have a beer and let my mind relax on the cold, cold deck, looking out at the northbound destruction. Relax the mind. Then take a nap.
Googlemap: 1007 11th ave, pleasant grove, al 35127
According to rescue workers, everything north of me is gone to the big black slag pit on the side of the mountain. Think on that.
So. yeah. I live in Pleasant Grove Alabama. Appearantly my little town has been making quite a news story recently. I wouldn't know. We're kinda cut off from the rest of the wrold right now.
Here's my story. Only gonna tell it once, and it''s going to be a piss-poor storytelling job 'cause it's 1:30 in the morning and I need to be asleep but I can't sleep 'cause I've got all this stuff running through my noggin that needs to be let out.
We knew the bastard was coming. We had early warning. Massive early warning. I woke up that morning knowing that there was going to be some kickass weather later in the day. I follow James Spann's tweets (for those of you who live in Kentucky or somewhere who doesn't know who James Spann is, he's the best local weatherguy. Ever) and the moment I woke up I looked at my phone and my phone was telling me that James Spann was telling me that the storm was on path for Tuscaloosa alabama. Fucking nailed it, Jimmie Spann.
So, yeah. Wasn't like we weren't prepared. My sis even took off work early so she'd be here to be in a sake place. hahaha. should've stayed at work. Her work was safer than this place.
So 5:00ish rolls around. We've had an early dinner, cause, like I said, we knew it was coming. And we're watching Jimmie Spann. And there the motherfucker is, in Tuscaloosa, barrelling through the city on live television for everyone to see. And that was scary. Really scary. Cause I knew I was watching people die.
Fifteen to twenty minutes later we got word it was in Hueytown. And I thought I might have time to get the chicken in the microwave so it wouldn't spoil. Thought I might have some time. We had the big curtains in the living room open to see outside. It got real dark real quick. I got downstairs real quick. My sister and I are looking out the two windows in the basement. And that dark cloud starts to move. I don't recall the sound. People talk about the sound of a train. I don't recall that. I just recall watching the dark cloud start to move, and then see stuff fly by the window. Just little bits of trash at first. Just enough for me to think there was some wind. Something you might see on a windy day. But the speed at which it the wind increased was breathtaking. One minute I was able to see the house across the street, the next second I wasn't. And that was when I piled into the closet I had prepared for tornadoes. Probably a bit late, but it was very fascinating. That's my excuse.
If I had had my iphone, I would had recorded video of the whole thing. I'm pretty sure of it. instead I told my sister to record it, and she took a video that accurately depicts the terror of the event. not a good video of the tornado. A very good video of the terror that acompanies it. I still don't have it, by the way.
When it had passed, we took check of ourselves. Made note that we were physically okay. Mentally a bit shaken. It had blown the basement door open, but the chain latch had held, so the dogs weren't running free. I looked outside the basement door and saw there was a tree laying in front of it. That's good to know.
Went upstairs, opened the front door, there was chaos in the streets. Houses were damaged and destroyed very close to us. Very, very close to us. I estimate 150 paces from our front door, there is a house that has been shredded. All other houses around ours had significant roof damage at the very least.
Our damage: Three shutters were torn off the windows, one is missing. Two gutters were torn down. Some shingles were torn from the roof, but no major roof damage. No holes in the roof -- no leaks when it rains. Four of our trees were blown down, with several more of our neighbor's trees in our yard - none hit the house or cars. Fence is ruined. Two of our neighbor's storage buildings blew into our yard. Our storage building has several dime-sized holes in it that can easily be patched. Cars were banged up but are drivable.
We are extremely lucky. We were without power for five days, with blackouts throughout the days since we've had power, and we still don't have internet or television or phones, but considering what happened less than a mile away, I am not complaining.
Less than an hour after we stepped outside after the tornado, panicked people ran down my street asking for medical assistance. Someone was bleeding to death. On my street. We later learned the guy had died. That put things into perspective for me and I haven't complained about too much since.
Next day my sis and I took a walk around the old neighborhood. We took pictures of the craziness. Well, she did. It got to the point where I felt like a tourist taking mementos of other people's suffering, and I put my camera away. Seemed like a really tacky thing to do.
That was the day I started seeing the endless drove of people helping other people. It didn't stop. It was awesome and fantastic. I couldn't walk outside my house for 30 seconds without someone offering me something to eat or drink. I never accepted, cause 1) I try to be highly independent, and 2) we didn't need it and others certainly did. But it doesn't make it any less awesome that people organized themselves so quickly and got the support systems up so quickly and efficiently.
I have a lot to say about that, but now isn't the time. Last time I was hit by a tornado -- 1998 -- I was struck by the same thing. The willingness of people to help when other people are down. Mainly church groups that do that. I've kicked that idea around in my head ever since, and now I'm seeing it again, and even more feverishly this time. Like I said... I have a LOT to say about this, but now isn't the time.
But, yeah. lot on my mind. Hard to sleep the last week. Just thought about it for a second and I think Ive lost a LOT of sleep. The only way I can sleep is with a sleep aid and that doesnt seem to work too well. it's not that I'm mentally effected by the tornado or anything. Dont take it like that. I just think about everything that needs to be done and I start to wig out. get the jitters.
There is beer in the refigerator. We still have a deck. (the steps to it have been raised about a foot off the ground from the rootball of the tree that landed in front of the basement door. but we still have a deck.) I think I'll have a beer and let my mind relax on the cold, cold deck, looking out at the northbound destruction. Relax the mind. Then take a nap.
Googlemap: 1007 11th ave, pleasant grove, al 35127
According to rescue workers, everything north of me is gone to the big black slag pit on the side of the mountain. Think on that.
