(I originally wanted this story to be only one post, but that will be impossible because of all of the pictures. So I am splitting this story up into three parts. Also, for the sake of accuracy, please note that this series of posts was written on September 8, 2011. I back-dated them only so that I will know where to look for them in the future. As such, note that all pictures were taken in the time period between April 27th-August 20011, meaning that, in reality, many of these pictures were taken months after the “published” date of this post.)
The Tuscaloosa Tornado, 2011, Part 1 of 3 (click to read)
The Tuscaloosa Tornado, 2011, Part 2 of 3 (click to read)
Finally, part 3:
I realize that it sounds totally crazy, and possibly offensive, but I am grateful that we were here for this. I debated on whether or not to even write that, because I know there are countless people out there who cannot not share this sentiment and would, perhaps, be horrified that I even expressed it. Yes, it is very easy for me to say that since we were not directly affected. Would I have the courage and grace and strength of faith to write that if I had lost everything? Probably not, and this is what gets me. I have seen videos and have heard interviews of people who have lost everything, even loved ones, and they say that God is still good and they are still praising, still giving thanks. I don’t know that I would have that attitude, but I hope that I would.
I know that everything happens for a reason, and really, what are the chances that two Tennessee-born-and-raised people would be here, on this part of the globe, when a disaster of this magnitude happened? This has changed me as I have realized how, literally, every day is a gift that God does not have to give us. Our lives, our health, our loved ones, our possessions, are all gifts and can be taken from us at any second of any day. We heard numerous stories about people who died or were seriously injured that were actually in what would be considered a “safe space” when the tornado hit. There is no guarantee that we can protect ourselves from disasters like this. All of this to say that the tornado has given me a greater appreciation of life and a motivation to celebrate all of life. It reaffirms what I wrote in a post last Spring, when Brent was hospitalized with blood clots in his legs, including this quote from Marvin Olasky at worldmag.com:
“The key is to understand that everything is a gift from God and that, since Eden, thorns and thistles hinder everything we do. Starting from an entitlement perspective, all difficulties are undeserved. Starting from an awareness of sin, all good things are undeserved.”
Ultimately, I have realized through this whole ordeal the way that I want to live my life, and this is why I am glad we were here for this. My goal is to have the attitude of Job when he said:
“Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21 KJV)
This marks the end of my comments on our experience with the tornado. It seems terribly inadequate. I have linked several sources below who have described or photographed the tragedy much better than I could have.
Other links:
- Sports Illustrated: Terror, Tragedy and Hope in Tuscaloosa by Lars Anderson <- Best article I have read; I actually ordered this issue off of ebay because it flew off the shelves here in town.
- Excellent slideshow of aftermath, including areas besides Tuscaloosa at huffingtonpost.com
- Tuscaloosa News website
- You Tube video of the tornado approaching Tuscaloosa (there are several others, but this is the most well-known)
- Google Images: Type “Tuscaloosa Tornado” in the search bar
- Southern Living series, “What Stands in a Storm” (This is a link to the first story; links to the other parts of the series are on this page.)
- Wikipedia: April 25-28, 2001 tornado outbreaks
This was once Alberta Elementary School.
(Final note: I have several other photos and several cell phone videos that I didn’t post on the blog because they had people in them or houses that would be recognizable. I don’t want to violate anyone’s privacy by posting their destroyed house on the internet. Also, my photos are in no way representative of the damage. I just primarily photographed the areas I drive to and from work every day.)
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