Just got home...**New Pics of Tornado Destruction--Alabama**

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Just got home...**New Pics of Tornado Destruction--Alabama** (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 4/29/2011 8:56:31 AM EDT

Hey guys,

It has been a long night. We spent last night / this morning helping continue the search in the Pleasant Grove area, one of the hardest hit in Jefferson County.

The scene is just undescribable devastation. I have never seen anything like it. The death toll will only climb higher. There is human carnage. I won't go into further detail on that. Don't really feel like it right now.

As far as I could see, the landscape has been virtually scraped flat. There are front porch steps that don't have houses to go with them. There are dead pets everywhere. Clothing, cars, matresses dangle from the few tree trunks remaining upright.

Sheet metal is folded like paper mache around everything. Power lines are strewn like spagehtti entwined in all the wreckage. The ones who survived, did so by the grace of God.

There are many pics to follow, most of which look similar. That's because the whole landscape looks the same, just a wasteland.

If you pray, please do so for these folks. If not, please keep them in your thoughts. The numbers of people who want to help are staggering. There are volunteers walking around giving out coffee, hot dogs, snacks... moving rubble, people lending personally owned Bobcats, etc.. to clear the roads. Most roads are passable by now, there is just nothing to go to on those roads.

Continued....

Posted: 4/29/2011 8:57:36 AM EDT

[#1]

Posted: 4/29/2011 8:58:33 AM EDT

[#2]

Posted: 4/29/2011 8:59:11 AM EDT

[#3]

-Tim

Posted: 4/29/2011 8:59:34 AM EDT

[#4]

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:00:01 AM EDT

[#5]

Looks like Ivan pictures, except for the car that must have been flung against the tree.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:00:08 AM EDT

[#6]

Prayers sent to those affected and those gracious enough to help them.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:00:44 AM EDT

[#7]

Unbelievable.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:01:33 AM EDT

[#8]

fuck

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:02:26 AM EDT

[#9]

205mph winds..not much man made can stand up to that.

Prayers sent...

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:02:57 AM EDT

[#10]

Good lord.

Thanks for sharing the pictures with us Smitty and hats off for your work. A solemn reminder the power of nature and how lucky some of us truly are.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:03:07 AM EDT

[#11]

Wow. Thanks for sharing and for trying to help.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:03:25 AM EDT

[#12]

I cannot imagine what those people went through

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:03:42 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Looks like Ivan pictures, except for the car that must have been flung against the tree.

That car looks like it was going pretty fast when it hit that tree. Damn.

I know you don't want to take about damage to people, but in general what kind of injuries are you usually seeing? I'm thinking from a "first aid supplies" perspective. Wife and I are talking about what kind of shelter we want in our next house (which would also be the guy/gun storage/gun maint/emergency supplies room).

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:04:09 AM EDT

[#14]

If any of our members down there need help, let us know.

We should get a tacked thread offering out help.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:05:34 AM EDT

[#15]

The raw power of nature is truly humbling.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:07:30 AM EDT

[#16]

I was in Picayune MS, the day after Katrina where a significant number of tornadoes hit. It was bad, but nowhere near as bad as those pics.

I've got a student from Tuscaloosa, Alabama who has been out of touch with his family for days and nobody knows where they are.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:07:43 AM EDT

[#17]

Thanks for sharing...our prayers are with everyone affected.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:07:56 AM EDT

[#18]

What a horrible mess. As bad as the loss of life was, going by those pictures I'm shocked it wasn't much higher.

Thoughts and prayers out to those affected and those helping them.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:08:07 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
If any of our members down there need help, let us know.

We should get a tacked thread offering out help.

There is a thread in the MS/LA/AL hometown forum where various members have offered assistance. If there could be a tacked help thread in GD, I think it may help, but I've not seen any thread yet where anyone is requesting assistance.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:08:24 AM EDT

[#20]

Wow, looks like an inland tsunami hit...

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:09:12 AM EDT

[#21]

Man...so much damage.

Best wishes for the families dealing with this disaster.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:09:18 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Looks like Ivan pictures, except for the car that must have been flung against the tree.

I have NEVER seen a photo like that...I think most everyone here knows that it takes an INCREDIBLE amount of force to do such a thing.

Very sad.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:09:54 AM EDT

[#23]

All I can say is WOW.
Let us know what is needed

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:10:25 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Looks like Ivan pictures, except for the car that must have been flung against the tree.

I have NEVER seen a photo like that...I think most everyone here knows that it takes an INCREDIBLE amount of force to do such a thing.

Very sad.

Looks to be a mid-air collision too. That's an incredible photo.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:12:36 AM EDT

[#25]

Frightening

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:17:31 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
If any of our members down there need help, let us know.

We should get a tacked thread offering out help.

Yes, we should.

And Jesus Christ... those pictures... where the hell do you even start?

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:17:35 AM EDT

[#27]

My home was hit by an F-5 tornado when I was a teenager, so I can definitely sympathize with everyone affected by this. If I lived closer, i'd be jumping to help where I could. Absolutely horrible seeing the death toll continue to rise.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:19:23 AM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
Wow, looks like an inland tsunami hit...

I was thinking a nuke

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:20:25 AM EDT

[#29]

Looks like an apocalyptic movie set.

Godspeed in your recovery, Alabama.

eta: They're now saying the tornado that went through Smithville, MS is an official EF-5. The first one again since Iowa 2008 and Greensburg, KS 2007.

Official EF-5 tornado in Smithville, MS

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:23:41 AM EDT

[#30]

I passed through the neighborhood that I grew up in (Del City, OK) after the May 1999 F5 hit ....It was amazing to see what wind can do to large trees...and the second story of my old house was opened to the sky

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:25:35 AM EDT

[#31]

I've been a bit grumpy lately over stupid crap. Not anymore.

Prayers

GM

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:26:02 AM EDT

[#32]

wow these pictures really bring home what happened. Praying for those inbound and God bless.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:32:30 AM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:
Good lord.

Thanks for sharing the pictures with us Smitty and hats off for your work. A solemn reminder the power of nature and how lucky some of us truly are.

Yes. Very much so. Makes me feel awful for the times I complained about what we went through due to Ike. NOTHING in comparison to this. Our home and things were damaged but we still HAD a home.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:33:22 AM EDT

[#34]

Friend of mine lives near Tuscaloosa and tells me the devastation was horrifying; he can't contact a female friend of his and he's worried sick. The death toll is already past 300+.

My prayers are with my fellow Americans in this terrible time.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:33:30 AM EDT

[#35]

Smitty, thanks for posting that.

And thanks for being there to help.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:33:31 AM EDT

[#36]

Prayers sent..

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:37:53 AM EDT

[#37]

Pure destruction...

I can't imagine coming home and realizing everything I own is gone.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:40:01 AM EDT

[#38]

Wow, I guess it could get worse than that but it wouldn't matter if it did.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:44:43 AM EDT

[#39]

Damn....Prayers for all involed.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:46:58 AM EDT

[#40]

Prayers for my Southern neighbors.

Thanks for posting the pics and for your service to your community. Stay safe.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:48:50 AM EDT

[#41]

how many hurt

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:48:52 AM EDT

[#42]

Wow, that SUV is literally bent in half.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:49:38 AM EDT

[#43]

God be with you all in the upcoming weeks. I'm sorry this happened to you.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:53:15 AM EDT

[#44]

unbelievable

as a lesson learned Im going to be much more cautious about storm warnings here, I always keep a close eye but that storm produced so many big twisters it was horrible.

thanks for the picts smitty.

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:55:13 AM EDT

[#45]

Jesus Christ, makes you really thing about what REALLY is important in life and stop bitching over petty BS.....
Heart and prayers for everyone that was effected by the storms

And a BIG thumbs up for all that are volunteering for SAR and cleanup

Posted: 4/29/2011 9:57:32 AM EDT

[#46]

Quoted:

I passed through the neighborhood that I grew up in (Del City, OK) after the May 1999 F5 hit ....It was amazing to see what wind can do to large trees...and the second story of my old house was opened to the sky

I saw that storm build down in Lawton when I lived there. I worked the recovery effort in Moore. That is the worst destruction I've seen in person, in my life. I was physically and mentally drained after just one day. I drove to a neighborhood in Moore Ok where a girl I knew lived. Here house, and the whole neighborhood were gone. To this day, I don't know what ever happened to her.

We weren't close, just an acquaintance really.
I feel for those people. If you have never been in a Tornado, or survived one in a cellar, you really cannot understand what those people are dealing with.
I remember the April 10th 1979 F5 that went from Wichita Falls TX to Lawton OK. I'll never forget that sound I heard while hiding in the hallway with my dad. He is a WWII and Korean War Vet. It was the first time I saw fear in his eyes. We didn't have time to get to the cellar. Our house was spared by the grace of God, but it I will never forget that day. This tornado was a mile wide.

I still get sick to my stomach when they blow the civil alarm siren at noon in the small towns I work in now. That siren has a whole different meaning to me.

Posted: 4/29/2011 10:00:17 AM EDT

[#47]

A cousin is on a lineman crew working their way west out of Ringgold Georgia. Yesterday he sent word back they are using chainsaws and finding bodies.

Posted: 4/29/2011 10:02:14 AM EDT

[#48]

This proves only one thing..

All Single family homes should be built with a Storm/Bomb Shelter designed cellar.. The Cellar should be a stand alone backup home if the upper floors are destroyed in a fire or natural disaster.

Posted: 4/29/2011 10:07:43 AM EDT

[#49]

Damn..

Posted: 4/29/2011 10:10:29 AM EDT

[#50]

312 deaths confirmed so far, 210 in Alabama alone. God bless you guys over there Smitty.

RIP

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Just got home...**New Pics of Tornado Destruction--Alabama** (Page 1 of 2)

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