This is too close too home for me.

[madremissy]

Many good thoughts and prayers needed for so many across the south. Alabama and Georgia go hit hard.
Last night was awful. I have never been so nervous about impending storms in all my life. I was glued to the TV and just couldn't believe the strength of the storms moving across the south.
By 12:30 am a storm was heading toward us and from what I saw throughout the night I just kept praying it would not hit us. We were very lucky and but others were not so lucky. Please send good thoughts to those that have lost so much and those that have died. 300+ so far and over 200 tornadoes have been reported to have touched down.
My closet was my sanctuary and it just went so fast. As soon as the news said it was headed for my road I grabbed the dogs and settled in. I lost TV first, then electricity and then the roar was heard in the background. It all went so fast. I was very blessed that it didn't do anything to us except limbs down but others down the road weren't so lucky. A few miles south the devastation on one road was horrible. My friend's mom lost her entire house. Gone, nothing left but the foundation. Two people died on that road.
This is a very small community and everyone knows everyone else so it is so nice to see so many people out helping. We have already let people come to borrow our generators to have electiricty.

These pictures aren't as bad as some areas but just a devastating to those involved.


This is friend's house. Her granddaughter is best friends with Bristol. GiGi was in the closet of the right side of the house with her dogs. It came through the back and went straight through the middle. Took out the living room, dining room and office.



Down and across the road from my main road.


This is our gas station and convenient store at the end of my road.


This is one road over from my house. The barn with all animals is gone.

[pocketpit]

I'm so glad you are safe! Those pictures are scary without even thinking that it's in your neighborhood.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Wow, Missy - I'm so glad you're okay! That must have been terrifying! Seeing the pictures and reading the news is just so tragic.

[TinaMartin]

Wow! Glad you are ok!

[Pit♥bull]

Our thought go out to ALL affected by this devastation.

[hugapitbull]

Not to take away from the good thoughts for all affected, OMD, I'm glad you and your family are safe. That is just devastating

[Emi]

Omg I will pray for you and your family and friends and every one else around in that town.

[madremissy]

Our thought go out to ALL affected by this devastation.

Exactly what was my post was about.

Thanks everyone for your concern but my experience was nothing compared to some. I just couldn't imagine. Today I was so proud of my community to see everyone coming together bringing whatever was needed to help. Tractors, backhoes, four wheelers, chain saws, generators, gas cans, water etc.... Everyone grabbed what they had and came out to help where they could.

I passed out water to those to keep them hydrated. They all said they were staying as long as they were needed. These were all volunteers. When someone would come up offering to do work for money they were sent away and told that "friends were in need, we don't charge for that. Go back to where you came from."
It gave me hope in humanity again.

[iluvk9]

I am thankful my friend or her family were not hurt. Those photos are unreal, and I know they are not the "main areas hit". Mother Nature can be quite a bitch.

[lovepits]

this is horrible

[hugapitbull]

I passed out water to those to keep them hydrated. They all said they were staying as long as they were needed. These were all volunteers. When someone would come up offering to do work for money they were sent away and told that "friends were in need, we don't charge for that. Go back to where you came from."
It gave me hope in humanity again.

We found the same helping spirit in our area after the last two hurricanes. People just pitched in and did what they could to help one another out. Yes, there were the storm chasers selling services, but for the most part they weren't needed or used.

It does warm your heart to see what people can do when put to the test.

[madremissy]

Mother Nature can be quite a bitch.

I don't know who pissed in her cheerios, but she has been awful pissed at something lately.

[iluvk9]

[plebayo]

Question.

This is a very naive question so forgive me. Oregon doesn't really have tornados. For the states where things like tornadoes or bad hurricanes are common are the houses covered by home owners insurance?

Not that rebuilding your home is really of any help when you've lost everything. But if it isn't covered by insurance that just makes my heart hurt even more. I'm not sure what I would do if my home was destroyed.

Like everyone else said, I am glad you're okay. That just really sucks, I feel so bad for everyone. The death count in the south seems to be rising, it's just heartbreaking

[madremissy]

Yes, our homeowners policy covers everything except floods. You have to buy a seperate policy for that. Of course we live on a mountain so our chances of flooding are pretty slim.

I am sure that some people that were hit don't have insurance because in places in Alabama it hit low income housing units. So sad.

Everyday we here of someone else being hit. Travis has left to go help another friend whose house was hit. It seems the tornadoes just touch down everywhere. They jumped around and took out little patches all over the place.

We went on the back of the property yesterday and saw the path that it came across. I am so thankful now because I see how close it actually came to us.

Please keep praying for everyone.

I did see something in the paper last night about many people are missing dogs. They have set up a hot line number for people who find animals to call and they will do everything possible to reunite the animals with their owners. That is such a good thing since our town doesn't have animal control.

It is amazing how tornadoes work. There is a car in that gas station parking lot that got hit that nobody knows where it came from. You can tell it has been sitting in someone's back yard as junk but nobody has claimed it yet.

[furever_pit]

Man, that is intense!
My thoughts go out to all those dealing with the aftermath of this. I've heard there are places in AL that may not have power for two to three weeks.

[Ino]

I'm glad you and your family are ok, Missy and am glad to hear that people are coming together to help out. I think it is much more of a reality when you live in the area hit, but those pics bring it closer to home. Living in Fl, I've been fortunate that none of the hurricanes have severely damaged the area I live in and the few tornados we did have since I've lived here didn't do too much. One hit a marina and another hit a gas station, but no deaths. Best wishes to those who were affected.

[pitsnok]

I'm so sorry for everyone affected. I can't imagine how terrifying it must have been since your area of the country doesn't get hit with tornadoes often... I'm sure very few people had access to adequate shelter, or even knew what to do. That situation is one that's all too familiar to me, but here school buildings and malls and things are built to withstand tornadoes so most people have access to safe rooms. I just can't imagine being faced with a tornado if it wasn't something I was accustomed to.
I'm glad you're okay, Missy. And my thoughts go out to everyone who was less fortunate... all around the country. We also had some really devastating tornadoes last week, and a several lives were lost, but I can't imagine it being magnified to the extreme that you guys have endured, and also those in Joplin.