eerie calm after the storm

armywife76

I know Dana will understand as well as fellow Southern bumpies, but wasn't it the strangest feeling to look outside on Thursday and see the beautiful sunny day, without a cloud in the sky after the devastation that took place on Wednesday? That was such a scary day for a lot of us.

Just wanted to ask for thoughts/prayers for the people affected by these awful tornados. A neighboring town was completely leveled that day. My BFF's father ducked into a restaurant a split second before the door was ripped off the hinges as he tried to close it. Here is a pic of what it looked like afterward:

He is so lucky and blessed to be alive. At least 13 of our neighbors died on Wednesday. Literally the only thing left is the water tower.

My heart goes out to their families, as well as to those in other states affected. DH never came home that night, working 30 straight hours doing triage and working surgical cases at our hospital. And my family in AL are still without power and have some damage after this twister passed 1/2 mile from where they live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5a_yyh4KbQ My neices go to the school where the video is taken.

I know the Red Cross and Salvation Army are taking donations of Wal-Mart gift cards, supplies, and money. These families need any help they can get, as most of them have nothing anymore. Just so, so sad tonight. And it's amazing to me how much media coverage the wedding is getting when over 300 people in our own country have lost their lives in the deadliest tornado outbreak since the Great Depression.

browneyedgrl4282

It is heartbreaking! I am so thankful my sister is on her way from Tuscaloosa to NJ! I just posted a pic in the thread below that Firsttogo started. It was taken from my sisters place!

dana316

It was odd, wasn't it?  Thursday was gorgeous, and today was even better.  I took Caroline to my Mom's house, and they rode the golf cart for hours.  Then my step dad found a letter in the yard from a bank 2 counties away that had apparently been blown here by the storm. 

The weather is finally calm, but every time the wind gusted today, I almost jumped out of my skin. 

I am beyond broken hearted by this tragedy.  The county next to mine looks like a war zone.  There is just nothing left. 

My Dad has the unfortunate chore of driving through that county to get to the cemetary where his mother is buried...no one has checked on it, and I pray to God that it is intact...but considering the location, I'm already assuming that my beloved grandmother's burial place will be in ruins.  I know that she is in heaven, and her grave site is low on the list of things I need to be sad about, but I just can't help myself.  I feel as though I have nothing left of her, and that headstone is special to me.  She was called Pris by just about everybody on earth, and my Dad and his brothers had the foot stone engraved with "Prissy"...if that is gone, it will kill me. 

I am also feeling extremely guilty about leaving to go on our beach vacation.  One part of me can't wait to spend some actual quality time with my husband and precious little girl...but another part of me feels overwhelmingly guilty that we are going on a wonderful, relaxing vacation while others are suffering so.

 

DavezWife

uuuugggghhh.

Does anyone know... I have a HUGE closet full of clothes that I've not worn in years. Nice, decent, clean clothes. Should I just give them to the Red+ and SA? I'd like to help if I can. 

And I agree about the lack of coverage. Like I mentioned in Firsty's post, people are calling their rx providers, begging for a way to get their refills. Because they don't have enough to worry about. :::rolls eyes again at our healthcare system::::

 

 

 

dana316

DavezWife:

Does anyone know... I have a HUGE closet full of clothes that I've not worn in years. Nice, decent, clean clothes. Should I just give them to the Red+ and SA? I'd like to help if I can. 

Maybe call the Salvation Army and find out if you can make a donation with a specific cause in mind??  If not, you can ship them to me and I'll make sure they get to the right place.  My church is taking up donations for Franklin county, which is the next county over from us...they were hit ridiculously hard and have NOTHING left.

 

browneyedgrl4282

armywife76:

 And it's amazing to me how much media coverage the wedding is getting when over 300 people in our own country have lost their lives in the deadliest tornado since the Great Depression.

This is exactly why I am so pissed about the media coverage of the royal wedding...Honestly I don't give a crap that Prince got married, I didn't care before the tornado either but I think it is really poor judgement on all the media's part for letting this be more important to what is going on in the SOUTH!

DavezWife

I would LOVE to send a huge box to your church. Lemme FB ya....

armywife76

dana316:

It was odd, wasn't it?  Thursday was gorgeous, and today was even better.  I took Caroline to my Mom's house, and they rode the golf cart for hours.  Then my step dad found a letter in the yard from a bank 2 counties away that had apparently been blown here by the storm. 

The weather is finally calm, but every time the wind gusted today, I almost jumped out of my skin. 

I am beyond broken hearted by this tragedy.  The county next to mine looks like a war zone.  There is just nothing left. 

My Dad has the unfortunate chore of driving through that county to get to the cemetary where his mother is buried...no one has checked on it, and I pray to God that it is intact...but considering the location, I'm already assuming that my beloved grandmother's burial place will be in ruins.  I know that she is in heaven, and her grave site is low on the list of things I need to be sad about, but I just can't help myself.  I feel as though I have nothing left of her, and that headstone is special to me.  She was called Pris by just about everybody on earth, and my Dad and his brothers had the foot stone engraved with "Prissy"...if that is gone, it will kill me. 

I am also feeling extremely guilty about leaving to go on our beach vacation.  One part of me can't wait to spend some actual quality time with my husband and precious little girl...but another part of me feels overwhelmingly guilty that we are going on a wonderful, relaxing vacation while others are suffering so.

Oh man, I know. My nerves were just shot. I have never before thought I might not make it out. And we have tornados and awful weather all the time here!! My office is next to a police station, and we begged them to open the vault for us, but they wouldn't because it had drug paraphernalia in it. You better bet after the morning one hit, they opened it when the afternoon sirens came on!  It took hours for my hands to stop shaking so I could drive. I hope your grandmother's gravesite is ok and you are able to enjoy a vacation. You probably need it after this week.