Tornado Damage

On Sunday Clark, Clark, Ryan and some others from our ward set off to go help with the clean-up effort from the tornado's the ripped through Alabama on April, 27,2011.  There was already a group that had started Saturday but due to work and soccer games dad and the boys didn't leave till early Sunday morning.  (Yes, it was mothers day but how nice it was to just have to worry about getting Emma and Andrew ready for church.)  The boys/men ended up north east of Birmingham, Al, and they worked at a couple of sites where there was lots of destruction.  Their first site was where a mobile home stood before it was picked up and thrown to the ground.  They helped clean up the debris and pile it up so it could be hauled of easier.  They also helped cut up trees and branches and then put them in a pile.  I asked what they did with the wood once it was piled up and his answer was they burn it.  I was surprised with that I though they would try to get it to those that needed it for firewood, but then again it is too hot for a fire right now.  These  pictures don't do the devistation justice but this is more than the journalists are even showing.  

The first site where they started the day.  There used to be a trailer home here now the couple live in a 2 man tent, with an awning for their kitchen area and to help cover what belongings they were able to salvage.

Debris from the area around where the trailer home was.

More debris.

Just havin' a hot tub party!!  
A group from the ward that was there cleaning up.  Clark told me that they found this upside down, they turned it right side up and moved it.

The couples tent and awning.  This is just so sad, I wasn't up there but I sure feel for the families that have lost so much and have to live like this.  Hopefully they won't have to live like this for too long.

Make shift first aid station with a police officer to make sure things are legitimate and no looters come around.  I have heard of stories of families that were loading trailers and looters were there taking things out of the houses and things off the trailers while they were loading them up.  On of the owners of a home that was destroyed ended up getting his gun and letting the looters know his gun does work.  Others are sitting in their (what used to be their) front yards with guns trying to keep the looters out.

A home on the side of the road with all the walls gone.

View driving down the road.

Trees intertwined with others, that the only way to get them apart in to use a chainsaw and cut them up.

Trees snapped in half.  Some of the trees that were uprooted and snapped in half were 2-3 feet in diameter.  That is just amazing, huge trees just like they were a twig.

More pictures.

A piece of particle board embedded in the trunk of the tree.  Clark actually got the board out, he said it took a while. but it came out.

Thankfully we were safe and the tornado's were north of us, so there wasn't any damage too close too us.  There was a city on the other side of the county left of us that one of the towns were devistated, I also have heard that our county had some damage but thank heavens nothing around here. 

I pray for these families that they will be safe and that they can get back on their feet as quick as they can.  I also hope there faith whatever it my be is not damaged but strengthed because they are still alive, what trials they have to endure.  I don't know how I would be able to handle it, I thought my trials were tough but I don't wish that on anybody.