Last Friday night at 8:30 p.m. our neighbors across the street called to say they just saw a tornado go over the elementary school which is directly behind them. We had no idea. We have no sirens out here. The next morning, the paper said that three had died in the area, but by the morning, the local news programs were quickly upping that number. The hardest hit was just a mile or two from our home in Apison, but also Cleveland, TN and Ringgold, GA (just 10 minutes from us), and of course, Alabama. Growing up in Oklahoma, I know how tornadoes act so erratically. Our subdivision was completely untouched, not one broken tree branch. But just a mile away, total devastation. 8 people died just 2 miles from our home. The scene is still barracaded to keep looters and lookers out while clean-up is still going on, but I've seen the outer limits of ground zero and it is unbelievable.
The photos above are taken behind my across-the-street neighbor's house. Our local elementary school is right behind there house and this is the command center for the hundreds of volunteers and workers who were trying to clear the fallen trees off of the roads. The governor landed at the school to take a land-tour of the damage to the area.
I found this link on facebook that shows just a bit of the damage.
And there are several videos on YouTube if you put in a search for "Apison TN tornado." Here's just one of many:
Again, incredibly we had no damage in our subdivision, we didn't even lose electricity. Oddly enough, we lost our telephone, television, and internet on Friday and it just came back today. Looking just a mile from us as we drive down the road, we simply cannot believe our luck. But our hearts are broken for those whose lives were so tragically changed. It will be years before the area returns to its former pristine beauty. But, just as in Oklahoma City 16 years ago, the outpouring of American generosity will simply melt your heart. The people of this country can always be counted on.
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