Destruction from Tornadoes

The EF4/EF5 tornadoes came to Tuscaloosa April 27, 2011. I took these pictures and videos today, May 15, 2011. So, it's been over two weeks. If you see blue in the pictures, that's a tarp on top of where the roof has been blown away. This is what we see from our car on our way from our apartment to places like WalMart, Mike's job at Books-A-Million, church. It's not even the worst of it, but it's what we can get to easily and safely, without getting in trouble. It is awesome to see the power of mother nature, and it reminds you of your own mortality. It's also makes me sad to see the disaster, and how it has left so many people homeless. Our brand new ward and stake is ground zero in the relief efforts. I read in a LDS Church News article here that President Gonzalez of the 70 asked the Southeast stakes (that's us) several months ago to schedule a day of service in the spring. Our stake, the Birmingham Stake, and many others planned months ago that that day of service would be April 30. Three days after the tornado. In anticipation for the day of service, dozens of bales of clothing were gathered in Birmingham just days before the storm, and they were ready to help people immediately after the storm. I took a video driving down University Avenue, but it's not very good. You can't see the destruction as well as you can on an aerial video I found on youtube. This video is in two parts.The first part is better/worse depending on how you look at it.

Also, this is a video of the actual tornado. It has mild profanity, very mild considering this guy is so scared. This is right by where Mike's new job is at Books-A-Million. It starts out with the radio on, and then the radio station looses power. So scary.

Below is a link for a video from a CNN interview with my new friend at church, Sister Robbins. She lost her house. Her one year old granddaughter was with her, and they both survived. Both her dogs survived! Mike asked her if she feel like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and she laughed and said that she actually has a little Yorkshire terrier! She should rename him Toto. I offered to dog sit, when she moves to a new apartment, and I hope she lets me. Right now she is staying with friends.
Someone from my ward on CNN!

On all the houses we could see, they had this spray painted on them. The symbols mean that the police checked this house for bodies. And then there are red paper signs saying "UNSAFE".

That's a church

Someone's still proud to be an American.

It doesn't look new...

This is the linoleum tile floor of what used to be a big store/restaurant, who knows? We could tell it used to be a store because of the parking lot and the wheelchair ramp.

We have some honest people here in Tuscaloosa...

This was an elementary school. School had just let out, so no kids were hurt. But there school is gone.

Look at the little kid chairs

Flag outside the elementary school

More elementary school...

More elementary school flag...

More elementary school...

Tide loads of hope. Boy is it tempting to use the Tide Loads of hope because we are very very very poor since I don't have a job. I'll wash our clothes in our bathtub before we use this place, though. The people using it probably don't have bathtubs.

 

This is a church.