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Well, I'm back
First, thank you to all of you for your concern. I've been bombarded with facebook messages. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support. Just knowing that someone out there is thinking about you and praying for our area really means a lot.
The short version: Well, Alabama was basically slammed with tornados. An F-5 hit the community where we live. We had house damage, but are incredibly lucky. One of the hardest hit areas (we're talking total destruction) is a few hundred feet from where we live. We caught the southern tip of the tornado. We've been without power until last night, but we're completely blessed.
The long version:
We got home from school a little before 3 on Wednesday, because we had to dismiss early. We were already without power, so we went to Robin's friends house about 10 miles away. I still haven't heard a final count on the number of tornadoes that hit Alabama that day, but it was unprecedented. As we were watching the news, tornado warning after tornado warning kept popping up. I got really really scared when they said "1/2 mile wide tornado at the corner of x and y" which is where my parents live. That's when I started shaking. My parents were at home in their basement as we watched it go through. I had a hard time making contact with them, but finally talked to them and they were ok, just still in the basement. We would later find out that that same tornado is the one that damaged our house.
By about 6, all of north Alabama was without power. Radars were down and radios only had a landline for people to call in. No one really knew what had happened or what was coming next. We attempted to make it home, had to turn around 3 times, then heard another tornado warning coming toward us, couldn't make it home, and ended up at Robin's parents house, riding out the next wave. During this time, my sister was trying to make it home from her work in Huntsville to my parents' about 20 miles away. Cell service was very sketchy and they couldn't get her. I finally got her on Robin's phone and she was trapped outside standing under the awning of the daycare where I use to work. She couldn't get home, because roads in both directions were blocked. She was crying and scared and just said "I don't know what to do." Just then, the door to the daycare (huge metal, security door) magically opened and I yelled for her to go inside. She had to wait there during the next round of storms, until my parents were finally able to get to her. That took a few years off of all of our lives.
We finally got home about 8 to find our damage. We have holes in our roof (luckily it only leaked into the attic and garage), a broken window, dented garage door, both of our trees are gone, and we still haven't found all of our patio furniture. As I said, we got really really lucky. Just to the north of us is total destruction and many people in our subdivision suffered far worse damage than us. That night my jaw just ached from clenching my teeth so much that day. It is easily the most afraid I've ever been.
So, basically, we were without power for almost a week. We've spent our time helping neighbors. Robin and many of the men were clearing trees. I helped the people next door clean up what was their sunroom. I've also been working on things like collecting prom dresses for a prom this Saturday and getting toys for the local Boys and Girls Club, which is still standing but their belongings were pretty much destroyed. Parents are taking their kids there while they work to clean up, and they're just sitting in the dark with no toys and nothing to do. The area where my parents live and where I grew up was devastated. We know many, many people who have lost their homes. Roads that I've driven up and down a million times are unrecognizable. You really can't even put it into words.
We've only had newspapers, so I'm still unsure of the total number of tornadoes in Alabama. Hundreds of people have died and hundreds are still missing. Thousands of homes were destroyed, and thousands of people were injured. I read in the paper that in Limestone County (where my parents live) alone there were 300 houses destroyed, 200 severly damaged, and 300 damaged. There are areas like this all over north Alabama. It's devastating, but I'm proud to say that we've seen an amazing sense of community over the last week. Neighbors have really been coming together. Strangers are volunteering everywhere. I've always been a big fan of the old adage "without suffering there would be no compassion." It's so true.
I'll spare you pictures of the destruction.
If you want to help, the Red Cross has created a fund for us. We're looking at a long road to recovery, so we need all of the help we can get. My family and I are fine. We don't need anything. We have home owner's insurance and everything that we lost can be easily fixed. Others are not that lucky.
Again, I appreciate the love, support, and well wishes from so many of you. God bless you, if you read all of this. I'm back at school today for a "work day" (haven't really been working on school stuff yet, too many other things to do) and the kids start back tomorrow. I haven't had time to catch up Niner news yet, but I'll slowly catch up.
Let me know if you have any questions. I know I'd be awfully curious. Also, let me know if there's any big Niner news I missed. I saw of fb that kklump had her baby. Other than that, I'm out of the loop. Love y'all! 
Re: Well, I'm back
<a href="http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/adia83/?action=view
im so glad that you and your families are okay. in the long run, it sounds like the damage you have to your home is minimal, thankfully.
i'd imagine though that it will be awhile for someone to patch your roof since i'm sure contractors are working overtime.
i knew if you were okay you would be out helping others
im so glad you are okay and i will continue to think about and pray for your community as you rebuild.
Wow.... my jaw was clenched just reading through that. I couldn't even begin to imagine...
I know we've had our differences, but this is well above and beyond that.
I am truly happy to hear you and your family are safe, and please know that you are in my thoughts.
*hug*
updated 10.03.12
| cute shoes make me happy |
Congrats to both my TTC buddies, Amberley18 and sb2006 on their beautiful babies!
So glad you and your families are all okay, tho I can't even imagine how scary it must have been. Thank god you are okay and the damage is minimal.
That's so sweet about the prom dresses and YMCA toy drive!
This part is both terrifying and miraculous! I cannot imagine being trapped outside with nowhere to take shelter. Or being on the other end of the phone. Wow. I wonder what caused the doors to unlock - that's pretty phenomenal.
| cute shoes make me happy |
Dx: Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism After 2 years TTC & failed IUs,we have our IVF baby born 9/24/11
LO#2 aka 'Miracle Baby' Orig. EDD= 9/28 EDD moved to 10/3/13
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." -- Dale Carnegie
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." --Thomas A. Edison
also- we stalked your newspapers trying to get news on you
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/52730148.aspx
Oh my God, DD, how terrifying! How sad to see places you grow up so damaged or destroyed and to have to worry so much about the safety of your family. Severe weather and tornado warnings absolutely terrify me to the point of wanting to throw up, so I can't imagine what you went through. I am so glad you're okay and that your house had minimal damage. Even though what matters is that people survive, losing your material possessions is incredibly sad and I can't imagine what all those people are going through who lost everything they had. Speaking of lives being spared, don't you have a kitty? How did she fare? Probably hid under a bed, I assume?
Also, it sounds like your parents' house is okay too, right? Maybe I missed that part, my reading comprehension is in the sh!tter today.
It's awesome that you're helping so many people out. T&P to everyone in your community.
:Blog:
We have 2 kitties. Looking back, I feel really bad about leaving them at home. Once we saw the damage, Robin and I were both really thankful we weren't there. Our roof is just scraped up from debris. I know the walls were shaking, because pictures were knocked off. I'm sure it was really scary. The kitties are ok, though. Our living room window was broken and there was glass all over the floor. Our sweet kitties greeted us at the door like normal though, so we knew right away they were there, and I started checking for bloody paws. They're both fine. They've been extra cuddly.
My parents house didn't have any damage. My aunt and uncle are the only other people in both of our families who have serious damage, aside from just some tree limbs down. As many family members as we have spread out, we were really really lucky. A girl I went to high school with had both aunts and her sister-in-law all lose their houses.
Stand up for something you believe in.
DD- I'm so glad you are ok. Every wave that came through Huntsville came up through where I live about an hour later, though it wasnt as destructive. My BFF who lives in Madison and I were texting through the whole thing, she was at her grandparents a little bit further south in the city. She works at UAH but they haven't gone back to work yet, as I'm sure is the case with many places down there, regardless of their damage. We've definitely been hearing a ton about Tuscaloosa, too. it's in our paper every day, and there are tons of volunteer drives going on. They are still in the process of determining how many tornadoes touched down here, so they are probably still checking on that but last I heard it was 70 (wikipedia) . I think we are only at 20.
I am so glad that all in all you and your family are ok. What you guys went through was much worse than what we experienced here, and I was pretty terrified. I hope that the repairs to your home are done as soon as possible, and everything turns out okay in the next few weeks.
Wow.
That story is just amazing. In every sense of the word.
And I'm SO glad that you, Robin, and your families are okay. I remember watching the big one going through Birmingham on the weather channel and my first thought was, OMG, DD is like right there! I worried about you guys all night that night. I'm so glad that you are fine and your house only has minimal damage.
You are such a great person for helping out the community. The prom dress drive is just awesome. You and your community are still in my T&P that everyone recovers/copes okay.