A Mother's Story
My daughter is a Junior in the School of Business as an Accounting Major Student at University Alabama. She lived at Charleston Square Apartments and was home taking shelter in her bathtub with her dog Lulu while the tornado produced devastation all around her.
As a mother I felt helpless and scared that I could not get to her and provide protection. Instead we talked on her cell phone during the entire tornado...how she did not lose service I will never understand. The only explanation I can find is that it was a blessing from God that I was at least able to be there for her as she described what she heard while lying in her bathtub. She told me that it definitely sounded like a train, she could hear cracking sounds, lots of thuds, glass breaking and could smell the scent of pine as tree's were breaking. This ordeal only lasted approximately 45 seconds to a minute. She then reported she could see the sun under her bathroom door and could hear voices and people walking around in or near her apartment. I told her to stay put a few minutes to make sure it was over which indeed it was. She reported her apartment complex has been destoryed around her. The apartment above her was demolished. Rubble and debris filled the courtyard.
As any mother would do I immediately got in my car and despite that Dora was now under a Tornado warning I headed to Tuscaloosa to pick up my daughter before more predicted storms came. My Sister and Husband accompanied me. Unfortunately, during my trip to Tuscaloosa we did loose cell service and the authorities made Brittany evacuate. She was unable to contact me to tell me she had left the apartment. As I made my way up 69 highway to 15th and the finally onto 10th avenue I saw the barracade set up that would provent me from getting to my daughter...I decided to turn left to seek an alternate route and by the Grace of God when I turned my daughter and her dog Lulu were coming down 10th ave and was just about to cross the street I had just turned onto. I was so relieved to see her...I jumped out hugged her and got her in the car and immediately turned the car around and headed back to Dora to the safety of our underground basement. It had been over an hour drive and we needed to make a pit stop but everything was closed...we knocked on the door of a closed business that I will not identify as the employees were told to lock up and not let anyone in and I appreciate them and wish not to cause them trouble...but they let us in to use the restrooms and even provided her dog with water.
We made it home safely and no other storms actually came. We are lucky and blessed that she is alive and well. I truly believe that it is by God's Grace she was protected. The night I picked my daughter up I did not see the devastation of her apartment complex. However, the next morning we went back to salvage any of her belongings that we could and when I saw the debris and rubble it really hit me hard just how blessed and lucky we are and tears came to my eyes. However, my daughter although she had been through such an ordeal was ready to help others while we waited to get into her apartment. She assisted her Uncle in removing trees for some of the residents on 27th street and help an older lady on 15th find her purse in the rubble that use to be her house. I am very proud of her. We have also donated supplies to Metro Animal Clinic and plan to continue to volunteer whenever we can. Although Brittany has been through a devastating ordeal and lost both personal property and a car she recognizes that others have lost the same and some more. We are both thankful for the blessings God has given us and hope we can give back to others in the Tuscaloosa Community and other communities that experienced the devastation of the tornadoes.
