Deadly winter tornado devastates Alabama town

James Scott has never lived anywhere other than a two-story house on the hilltop Darlene Drive north of Birmingham. The house will never be the same again after a tornado shattered the structure into pieces, killed another teenager and left the community devastated in the middle of the night.

Standing in the midst of the destruction on Tuesday, the 19-year-old stared at the rubble for a few moments, apparently unsure of what to do next.

“It’s time to regroup and start flawlessly,” he said. “This is the best I can hope for.”

TORNADO RIPS THROUGH ALABAMA, KILLING 1 AND CAUSING ‘SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE’

The terrifying nighttime tornado that ravaged the Birmingham suburbs late Monday, trapping entire families in the remains of destroyed homes and injuring 30 people, left a trail of destruction that stunned even longtime residents accustomed to the harsh weather of Alabama.

Tim Herring, who survived the twister by cuddling in a bathtub with his wife Patti Herring as the winds tore the roof of their house and shattered the walls, had been following the weather forecast during the day and was not expecting the worst until that happens.

“I have lived here for 64 years. I was not too worried, ”he said.

“I helped people after tornadoes,” he added. “This time it’s us.”

Across the road, Jason Williams struggled to explain how he, his wife Renee and their two daughters survived after their house collapsed, trapping them in the basement shelter where they had sought refuge.

“God had his mighty hand on us. That’s all I can say. God protected us last night,” said Williams, who had a cut on his forehead and bruised legs, but was okay otherwise.

Many more narrowly escaped with their lives. At least 30 people were injured when the tornado carved a 10-mile path through the northern Birmingham suburbs, an area severely damaged by a much larger tornado a decade ago.

Ninth grade Elliott Hernandez, 14, was killed and several relatives were seriously injured when their house collapsed, trapping them in the basement, Fultondale Police Chief DP Smith said.

“They were doing what they were supposed to do,” Smith said.

The search continued for hours in neighborhoods where it was difficult to tell where the houses were. Across the destroyed landscape, every visible structure has been damaged or destroyed. Pieces of children’s toys and clothes were strewn across the ground strewn with broken trees. Fallen utility lines crisscrossed the roads.

Located about 10 miles north of Birmingham, Fultondale is home to around 9,000 people. It is mostly middle class with a mix of new housing estates and older homes.

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The National Weather Service said the twister was at least a strong EF-2 with winds of 135 mph (217 km / h) based on initial readings, but assessments of the storm continued.

This was not the first twister of Fultondale, who also caught the tail of an EF-4 tornado that ravaged Alabama from Tuscaloosa in northern Jefferson County on April 27, 2011, killing 65 people and injuring 1,500 along a path more than 80. 130 kilometers long, according to the weather service.

Herring was already ready for bed when a warning siren went off and a TV forecaster said the storm was heading towards their house. He said he put on pants and started looking for his wife’s two cats when they realized they were running out of time.

“We ran into the bathroom, got down in the tub and covered in towels, and then in about two minutes it was all over,” Herring said.

The couple were later covered with planks and pieces of wall, but neither were seriously injured. “We went out and my wife said, ‘We don’t have a roof’. I walked into the hallway and said, “We don’t have walls either. I said, “We’re lucky to be alive, Patti,” “said Tim Herring.

Crying, Patti Herring was shaken and as she rummaged through the debris looking for a missing cat and her late mother’s prized possessions.

At what was left of Williams’ house nearby, he and a few helpers celebrated a small victory amid the devastation: they rescued the Smokey family dog ​​from where he was trapped by falling debris. The dog spent hours near what was left of the basement room where the family of four took refuge with no time to waste.

“As soon as we got there it hit, and it all fell on us,” Williams said.

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Saving the dog was no easy task for a family that lost everything, he said.

“I am so proud that Smokey is doing well. One of my daughters had guinea pigs and the other a turtle. And I can’t find them. I just found part of the guinea pig cage, ”he says.