The Albertville Tornado~ Saturday Night

A couple of weeks ago I lived through an EF3 tornado which tore through my city, Albertville, Alabama. To say I've been in shock is an understatement and I'm having a difficult time with the entire experience. Bear with me as a recount the night it happened. Then I'll try to summarize what all has transpired since that night in a blog later on.

Saturday night, April 24th, started out being just like any other Saturday night. We had supper with my mother and daughter and all sat around the living room cutting up and having a good time. Except there were tornado sirens blaring. The front moving through wasn't in our part of the county, so we sat there and watched the television as it passed on by.

A little later, we headed home. The boys, Jimmy, and I were in the den and I had received a message from a friend in Birmingham that said for us to watch out, there was another cell headed up our way. The tornado siren blasted a couple of times, but then quit. We had the television on to Channel 19 in Huntsville, where they were tracking the storm. I looked at their timetable and it said that the tornado would be in White Oak at 10:21. Glancing at our DVR's clock, it read 10:21. Since White Oak is literally right down the road, I told them that we should take cover in the hallway, and Seth and I did immediately. Jimmy and Layke went and looked out the front door, of course.

Suddenly the lights flickered and then went out. Jimmy slammed the door, Layke rushed past Seth and me in the hall, grabbed a blanket and threw it over us as Jimmy came and made a dive for the hallway floor. About that time our front window exploded in and the house began to shake. I have never heard a sound like that before. The tornado roared like a freight train and debris was pelting the house. I sat on the floor, head bowed, holding my little dog and praying fervently for protection.

Suddenly it went quiet. Totally quiet. I kept asking, "Is it gone? Is it gone?" and Jimmy made his way to the front door. He said, "Oh my God, Lisa, come here, our cars are crushed." I rushed in there, looked out, saw the trees down, power lines broken and all the destruction and I said, "I don't care. We are alive." And I've never been so thankful to Jesus in my entire life. I frantically called my daughter and mother to see if they were all right and to tell them that although we had been hit, we were all unharmed. They had no damage at their house, but the power was out.

We made our way outside, me cautioning the boys to beware of the downed power lines. Neighbors were coming into the street and everyone seemed to be physically all right. It was pitch dark and all we could see and hear were the sirens heading over to the trailer park. Trees and powerlines completely obstructed the roads and if someone had been injured, there is no way an ambulance could have made it onto our street.

We came inside, lit some candles, and just sat there. We were worried about the dogs and Jimmy opened the back door and called for them. Ernie and Austin came running in, went to the den, and laid down. They did not move all night long. Pugsley, sweet little half deaf, half blind dog, had slept through the tornado and was still in his doghouse. Seth went and got him and brought him inside, but he wasn't aware of what had gone on even though his doghouse was wedged in between a tree and our patio privacy fence.

The night was long, and we tried to go to sleep, but it was fitful. Around 3 we were wakened by flashing lights and chainsaws. Firemen and policemen had arrived in an ambulance and were sawing their way through the trees and utility poles in the road. Layke and Jimmy took them some bottled water and we watched as they somehow cut a path through the debris.

As strange as it sounds, I thought to myself that there was probably still some hot water in the water heater so I took a shower and washed my hair. I knew that Sunday was going to be a long day, but reality had not yet set in.