Alabama/Tuscaloosa Tornado Destruction

[usbbroker]

Here are some videos and pics of the Tornado destroying Tuscaloosa, and some pics of the aftermath. Total destruction! Words cant describe the damage the days storms caused all across Alabama. People are focusing on Tuscaloosa but many other communities were destroyed as well. Death toll as of now is 73, I believe. Im sure that is only going to rise when the sun comes up and more bodies and missing people are found. This is Alabama's Katrina. It was confirmed that the tornado that blew thru Tuscaloosa was an EF-5. I believe that is as strong as it gets but im not a meteorologist. Below I attached a link to a pic someone took, it is a deposit slip from a bank branch in Tuscaloosa. The person that took the pic found that deposit slip in his yard in Gadsden, AL (120 miles away). Please donate anything you can, Alabama is going to need all the help we can get. Today the national media like Brian Williams and Anderson Cooper are going to descend upon Tuscaloosa and Alabama but 12 hours later they will be on private jets headed to London to cover the "royal" marriage of two people who dont work and dont really have any power, figureheads in reality. Hopefully the national coverage we do get will touch enough peoples heart that they will donate, or help in any way possible. Keep the people of Alabama in your prayers, please.

http://vimeo.com/22970879
http://www.twitvid.com/D1HNK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ohIVzIZLuQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://yfrog.com/h24rzctj
http://twitpic.com/4qanbv
http://twitpic.com/4q93rs
http://twitpic.com/4qc0rb
http://twitpic.com/4qbw1d
http://twitpic.com/4qaxnn
http://bit.ly/iKankx
Deposit slip pic: http://twitpic.com/4qbqrw

Thanks for letting me post this, also here is the link to donate directly to the Red Cross Tuscaloosa effort: https://chapterneighborhood.wufoo.com/forms/online-donations-midalabama-chapter/ . Anyone in the are that would like to help directly can meet at the Tuscaloosa City Hall at 8am where they will send you where they need you to help out. They will also be receiving donations. Thank you and please keep the people of Alabama in your thoughts and prayers.

 

[usbbroker]

They are now reporting at least 125 dead in Alabama and its only 7:30am here, only had an hour of light so far to look for missing and survey the damage. Im sure it will get worse as the day goes on. :facepalm:
All the homeless Bama students are at the Rec center without most of the basic necessities. Donations will be welcomed and appreciated.

 

[MadJack]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ohIV...e_gdata_player

Holy shit, what's the matter with this person? Get the hell out of there! I have a feeling this one didn't make it. The video gets seriously intense at the end.

So sorry to see this crap. Wish you all the best down there.

 

[MadJack]

What the hell is going on in the world? The weather here has been hell but nothing like elsewhere. I have a feeling we haven't seen the worst yet. WOW!

 

[yyz]

That tornado HAD torandos!

It looked like tentacles, for Christ's sake!


I think the people in the car made it ok, Jack.....or else we wouldn't have seen the video.


But if you want to be a couple blocks away from a half mile wide storm like that........I have no pitty for you.

 

[Sportsaholic]

Wow, been away from the tv for a couple of days :scared

Didnt realize all that was going on, stay safe all :0008

 

[Lumi]

broker,

I am not a huge fan of the Red Cross :nono:

Are there any local charities to donate to?

Situations like this is why I NEVER donate to overseas disasters.

Take care of our own first !

Hope all is well.

 

[usbbroker]

That tornado HAD torandos!

It looked like tentacles, for Christ's sake!


I think the people in the car made it ok, Jack.....or else we wouldn't have seen the video.


But if you want to be a couple blocks away from a half mile wide storm like that........I have no pitty for you.

The tornado was confirmed to be over a mile wide at times! Discovery channel pays lots of money to get footage like that. That was a once in a lifetime tornado, EF-5. Ive certainly never seen anything remotely that large before.
Another sad note, former Alabama standout football player Shannon Brown lost his daughter last night. She was a student at Alabama, Her apartment was destroyed and she didnt make it. Very sad... :0049 :facepalm:

 

[usbbroker]

broker,

I am not a huge fan of the Red Cross :nono:

Are there any local charities to donate to?

Situations like this is why I NEVER donate to overseas disasters.

Take care of our own first !

Hope all is well.

I understand, even though it is a local chapter and the money will go directly to the victims, here are a few others I have found. Its still early, more will surface. http://www.handsonbirmingham.org/ http://www.slowstates.com/blog/disaster-relief-for-tuscaloosa/ and some help from our Auburn friends, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Toomers-for-Tuscaloosa/127019264041188

 

[dunclock]

broker, this is the worst disaster ever for our state! I finished roll call with all my peeps in the Huntsville area and all are ok and no structural damage but NO ONE has power and saying 3-6 days before getting back .. I hope your family is ok and continued prayers to the hundreds of thousands unaccounted for and affected by this disaster!!!

 

[Woodson]

Guys the Tuscaloosa tornado cruised a mile or so past my parents last night while we were out in the garage. It was literLly raining Sheetrock and shingles.

Lightening took a tree down past the pool in the wooded area.

Lucky to say the least.

Just drove back to Atlanta this morning...

Worst storm since 74'

 

[usbbroker]

broker, this is the worst disaster ever for our state! I finished roll call with all my peeps in the Huntsville area and all are ok and no structural damage but NO ONE has power and saying 3-6 days before getting back .. I hope your family is ok and continued prayers to the hundreds of thousands unaccounted for and affected by this disaster!!!

Is your power out now?

 

[dunclock]

Is your power out now?

I live in Nashville but most all of my family is in Huntsville/Madison Cty ... Browns Ferry took direct hit and TVA reporting over 600 towers down ... at best 3 days to get power...could be WEEKS for some places :scared

NO ONE in all of Madison Cty has power!!!

 

[Dice34]

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsport...football-player-reportedly-killed-in-tornado/

During an appearance on ESPN?s College Football Live show this afternoon, Nick Saban briefly relayed a portion of what long-snapper Carson Tinker was forced to endure during a tornado whose aftermath the Alabama head coach called ?the most devastation I?ve seen in my lifetime.?
According to Saban, the junior was thrown 50 yards from his house during the massive storms. Saban added that Tinker was injured ? the specific nature of the injury or injuries was not revealed ? but the coach said the junior?s expected to be OK.

What Saban understandably didn?t mention was the heartbreaking, gut-wrenching aspect of Tinker?s amazing story of survival.

:facepalm: his gf was not so fortunate....craziness

 

[umf1]

Horribly Sad.
Nothing compared to what Andrew did to Miami or
Katrina to New Orleans. Mother nature is an absolute animal.

 

[yyz]

Nothing compared to what Andrew did to Miami or
Katrina to New Orleans.

Why the fuck are you even here?

 

[usbbroker]

I live in Nashville but most all of my family is in Huntsville/Madison Cty ... Browns Ferry took direct hit and TVA reporting over 600 towers down ... at best 3 days to get power...could be WEEKS for some places :scared

NO ONE in all of Madison Cty has power!!!

Too bad you dont live in Huntsville, I could get your power back on there much sooner or at least moved up to the top of the list in the area. However, Nashville is not under Alabama Power. Cant help you there, sorry. There is one benefit to having a Father in Law thats a bigshot at Alabama Power. He reminds me often. Thinks Engineering is only for the best and brightest. Well, i was on my couch last night watching my Grizzlies. Nothing like bankers hours! :0074 One of the coolest things ive seen in a while is Alabama Power's War Room/Situation Room here in Birmingham. Wish I had a picture to show. Huge flat screens covering every square inch of space on the walls. Probably 25 in all and the computers and gadgets they had were amazing. I felt like I was in D.C. (Tysons Corner) at a high tech defense firm. Believe it or not but those guys work their a** off non stop until everyones power is back on. Very little sleep for days at a time. Know my Father in Law didnt come home last night. Who is your power provider? I lived in Memphis for years and had to deal with MLG&W, what a joke! I just remember reading an article 6-7 years ago that listed the salaries of all the so called executives at MLG&W. I was floored! Could have covered the title and you would have thought the article was listing all of the BofA execs or Goldman execs and their salaries. It was criminal, no work got done and everything was a mess. Ton of guys had put in their years, retired, and then gone back to work ("Double-Dippin). They were completely average Joe's getting two checks a month and making 200k a year pushin papers at MLG&W. Not to mention they all had nice company cars, gas cards, and cell phones. Hell, I bet the guys in the mail room were makin 60k a year. Fleecing the city and taxpayers of Memphis. :shrug:

 

[dunclock]

we are fine in Nashville bud but there is not one place with power in Huntsville ... that is where I am FROM and where most all my family still live... they are saying minimum 3 days and could be over a week ... people are having to drive an hour or more now just for gas and ice and the lines are massive... appreciate the help offer tho :0074

 

[Woodson]

we are fine in Nashville bud but there is not one place with power in Huntsville ... that is where I am FROM and where most all my family still live... they are saying minimum 3 days and could be over a week ... people are having to drive an hour or more now just for gas and ice and the lines are massive... appreciate the help offer tho :0074

Probably TVA

 

[Woodson]

.,......