Praying for Tuscaloosa

Devastation is the only word that can describe what has been left in the wake of Wednesday's storms.  I have to admit that I am a bit of a weather nerd.  So whenever our local stations go to full time weather coverage I usually watch it whether my area is being affected or not.  However, Wednesday was different.  Watching an enormous tornado live rip through Cullman, AL was heart wrenching.

Then Tuscaloosa was mentioned.  Tuscaloosa is almost always mentioned on days with storms.  It is like Alabama's own tornado alley.  But tornadoes are usually small scale and just touch down for a few minutes.  But we had been warned that it was very probable that some tornadoes may reach the EF4 or 5 range and track across many miles.  But I don't think anyone was prepared for the size or longevity of this one.

The sky cam was pointed toward the southwest, and as the storm drew closer and closer it was confirmed that a very large tornado was on the ground.  It is one thing to hear about it or watch it after you know the outcome, but to watch live as a tornado that size ripped through the heart of Tuscaloosa was devastating.  Knowing there were so many homes and businesses that were being destroyed and more importantly lives.  Thankfully I knew that my sister who was in the very near vicinity was safe underground.

I lived in Tuscaloosa for 6 years, no longer than I've lived in any one place. It is just as much home to me as anywhere else.  I went to school there, worked there, was a newlywed there, and became a mother there.  The dearness of this town goes way beyond anything like football.  Alex and I loved every minute of living in such a great city, and have family and so many friends who are still there.

Not only did I watch the tornado tear apart the city, as I was watching I knew it was coming so close to places I had lived, eaten, worked, and walked to class.  The tornado's path came within a stone's throw of the university.  I lived in two different apartment complexes and both of them are on the utter edge of the path of destruction.  It gives me chills to think if this had happened five years before, that looking across the street I would have seen such destruction.

 The circled portion is where I lived my last two and a half years of school.

 This is the school where I did my internship.  The students who go here live all around the school and in the heart of the damage.  One of the girls I graduated teaches here now and has only heard from seven of her students so far.  Pray that all of the children who go here are safe.

 I lived here my freshman year apparently some of the units are gone and the rest are fine.

Again the left corner is my freshman apartments the right is where Sterling was born

Already the church is stepping up to be the hands and feet of Christ.  And it is a beautiful thing.

Thankfully we dodged the bullet.  The same tornado that caused this damage stayed on the ground all through the state and hit just a few miles south of our house.  We still haven't been able to see what damage our community has suffered, but in not coming through town the damage is not nearly as severe. 

I just keep seeing pictures of homes demolished and thinking of the people that were hunkered down in bathtubs and closets while everything came crashing in.  I just think of my own two little ones and picture myself trying to keep them safe while the roof is caving in.  It brings me to tears to imagine what these families went through. 

Thankfully only a few people we know actually lost their homes in the storms, but there are so many who did and many of them are lower income families.  As Tuscaloosa's Mayor, Walt Maddox, said if you could pick a path that would ensure a difficult clean up this was it.  Most of the emergency agencies that you would turn to in this situation were wiped out. I pray that this would only bring the town of Tuscaloosa to the feet of Christ.

Praying for all of the state who has been touched by the storms this week.