Alabama's Tornado Damage

On April 27, 2011, thunderstorms, severe winds, and over 50 tornadoes ravaged much of Alabama with historical magnitude, intensity, and path length.


As of today, 236 in Alabama had died.


We witnessed the shocking tornado damage throughout the state's North and Central areas. We saw debris scattered and the splintered remains of houses. Fallen trees, mangled metal, and belongings strewn in fields of green. Photographs do not adequately capture the devastation. Chilling. Upsetting. Sobering.

Riding through the wreckage made me think about how fragile life is. How each moment is a precious gift. In life, you never know what is around the next bend.

What we saw wasn't the worst of it. We chatted with a fellow at a service station near Stevenson who said power had just been restored to his Northeast Alabama community. He warned, "Don't go toward Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa is gone."