tornado check in - want to make sure everyones ok

luvbug00 wrote: Hey gang, just wanted to make sure everyone is alright. The storm is hitting hard.
Everyone ok?

coasterqueen replied: I agree, I hope everyone is ok. I watched the news this morning and the amount of people who have died from this storm, wow, unreal. Did no one have warning?

boyohboyohboy replied: We had a tornado warning most of the night.
We ended up in the basement at 2am. Not normal weather for PA.

A&A'smommy replied: I live 60 miles south of Tuscaloosa, but I have LOTS of friends and family that live there thankfully they are all ok. I have a cousin that lives on 15th street (the street that is practically gone) her apartment complex just got clipped.. the hobby that you are seeing on the news is not even a half a mile from the mall where a friend of mine works and was in the storm shelter. There is video link on my FB of the tornado going over those places. I btw feel like I'm mouring tuscaloosa... this is place is my second home. Our doctors are there, I grocery shop there, clothes shop at that mall and the outdoors mall right across the street... Krispy Kreme which is gone is where Jeremiah and I went on our first date after dinner. I'm SO sad.. Autumn was born in Tuscaloosa. I actually know a girl who just had her baby before the tornado hit.... it absolutely devastating.

~Roo'sMama~ replied:
I saw the pictures on your FB and I can't believe the destruction. I'm glad all your family and friends are ok!

A&A'smommy replied:
Me too!! It's been a hard day and I'm hoping to get up there saturday and volunteer... I hope! I have been crying, praying and crying out to God.. My dad said I should rejoice and I'm praising God that my loved ones are ok but I can't be happy there is too much. And honestly it has been a little bit of wake up call. You know we donate money when there are catastrophies in other areas.. but that just doesn't seem like a enough. I want to do more! I just don't know what I could do...

Maddie&EthansMom replied:
You have such a good heart. God is smiling at your compassion for others.

Swood75 replied: We were under a tornado warning most of the night til 2 this morning and were under a watch til 8 this morning..Luckily we didn't get hit by any of them,it did get pretty windy though..Very scarey!! I have firends that live in Alabama and thank God they were all ok too.. Jessica,I thought about you and Dana lastnight and today and was worried about y'all until I saw that you both posted on FB that you were ok..I too feel so bad for the families who lost loved ones etc. Prayers are with everyone affected..

Danalana replied: Thanks for the post, Nadya! As previously stated, we are ok. We didn't have power for about 20 hours, but counting our lucky stars we aren't among the hundreds who have lost homes/vehicles/work/lives. So many are still missing and it's heartbreaking. One of my friends from church was traveling to Rainsville yesterday to identify the body of her niece Hits so close to home for us. We are only an hour away. I was just there giving birth three weeks ago and now it doesn't even look like Tuscaloosa anymore. This whole area is shaken. Not to be crude, but people are scattered everywhere...some found in trees. Some whole towns are obliterated, especially Smithville, Mississippi. There's still a lot of search and rescue going on and they are expecting more bodies. Grandparents are missing...children...it just breaks my heart. I've been looking at the pictures and videos and can't imagine what it looks like in real life.
Dee Dee, there was warning, but in the South it's pretty common to have the tornado sirens go off. I think people get desensitized and don't think it will happen to them. BUT, one of my friends barely made it by getting into his bathtub (college student at the University of Alabama) of his apartment. he said it happened so fast he almost didn't make it. There is a picture of his apartment...the bathtub is pretty much all that is left. His mother and step-father had JUST prayed for him right before it hit. It all just gives me goose bumps. This is a huge disaster.
Jess, I sent you a message on Facebook about your trip to T-Town tomorrow. I wish I could go, too, but it's hard with a newborn here.

A&A'smommy replied: Dana, we have some college students from here that lived RIGHT behind Krispy Kreme and I'm sure you have seen pictures of it. The house is still there but it has a LOT of water damage from the rain because the roof was sucked off. I was in tuscaloosa yesterday... there are NO words. I'm hoping to make it out to several of the smaller areas that aren't receiving as much "media" attention. A friend of mine was in Holt yesterday helping people save their stuff from their houses and she said search and rescue hasn't even made it there yet... I'm ready to go back, I didn't even want to leave but they have a curfew at 8 in certain areas (one of which i was in) and at 5 the traffic is AWFUL so we wanted to get out of town before it got to bad. My friend who was in Holt found a book laying open book cover up in a tree that was titled "Too Close For Comfort" it's crazy the things you will see... Keep praying for these people and please don't forget about them!!

Danalana replied: I can only imagine! Just looking at pictures is sooooo sad, but I'm sure it's so much more surreal in real life. What about the mall? Any damage?
One of my friends and her husband are taking a huge grill to several areas (Cordova, Phil Campbell, Hackleburg, etc...) and cooking for the workers. I wish I could be involved in some of this, but I guess I can't. I'm glad there are so many volunteers who can go and help!

A&A'smommy replied: I know you want to help, and you can by praying and/or donating money or needs and EVERY little bit helps! the only thing I would suggest NOT donating right now is clothes there are SO many everywhere but shoes are a good thing to donate. I didn't go down by the mall.. wanted too... its one of my favorite places, along with Starbucks and charming charlies but I talked to my friend who was in the mall during the tornado and she said belk (Ladies Belk) was the only store that had damage and mostly it was just the windows were blown out.
Our Church just chose Hackleburg as the town they are going to help, we are taking donations and then I assume we will help with clean up and rebuilding.

Sarah&Mackenzie replied: Keeping all of those affected in my thoughts and prayers.

Danalana replied: Oooooh, I love Charming Charlie's. Lots of prayers going up!
In one of the videos I watched, I saw the tornado going right behind the mall, down 15th street. Lots of cars in the parking lot...so glad it didn't hit there because there's no telling how many people were in there.
I guarantee you I will pay a lot more attention when there are severe weather alerts from now on. We don't have a storm cellar, but my BIL does. We will be going there. I can't fathom having search and rescue personnel looking for my kids. I never thought about it much before the boys were born. I mean, we have heard hundreds of sirens in the past and never seen one tornado (though a few have been sort of close, just nothing like this). I won't be taking it for granted anymore.

A&A'smommy replied:
LOL I LOVE to shop and they have GREAT prices!
I am pretty sure I know which video you are talking about, the one with the guy sitting in the mall parking lot in his car. Did you hear in freaking out at the end of the video. I'm GLAD he is ok!
I'm glad, its SO scary!! One of my dear friends family lives in Alberta after the storm was over they found a 9 year old little boy clinging to the top of a tree. He was 300 feet from his house. I keep hearing stories of children being found and parents that are still missing or being found dead and SO many babies are being found alive and are not orphaned. It's terrible! Dana tornados ALWAYS go around us or stop when they get to the river, we have been blessed to have them not jump the river.

Danalana replied: I like to think that God has been merciful in our ignorance. The few times we have gone somewhere for shelter, I had to BEG DH. I bet I won't have to now.