Tornado hits our home on 1/23/2012
These are the events that I remember from being in the January 23, 2012, tornado that destroyed part of the Gerogebrooke community in Pinson where I live.
Are we safe?
I woke up at 4:00 AM on January 23, 2012, turned on the computer, and was headed to make coffee when the tornado struck. Lights out.
Noise like a freight train – not exactly more like win rushing by really fast and a lot of rain.
Checked on family in house – they are ok.
Put on rain coat, hat, clothes.
Went out checked on next door neighbors. They are ok – a little damage.
Checked on guy next door – bad damage to back of his house – his boat is in the ditch (big ditch behind house) – so is mine but he is ok.
Hispanic family next down are in Mexico right now – their house is half there – front end of house blow to bits,
Black lady from new jersey and three of her family in next house all ok. Dog in a snit.
Next house down – nobody home can't get any response.
Same for nest two houses – both are basically a ruin – no one home.
Met County Sheriffs that live in Georgebrook.
What we can see in rain is houses in various states of damage from obliterated to severe damage.
Helped rescue people get one guy with broke ribs and other injuries onto an off road motor cycle and to a place where helicopter could get him to hospital.
Police, fire, rescue are backed up for miles down Old Springville Road in both directions. They cannot get in for the trees and power lines down.
Some get in using off road motorcycles and vehicles.
Most people are safe and not hurt badly.
One lady has some cuts and is taken to hospital. One had a broken back.
Police and rescue get in and tell residents to go back home.
All the people that were physically able to (brave enough) got out and looked for survivors and tried to help to the best of their ability.
By day light rescue, police, and fire could get in.
Everyone started cleaning up the mess in their yards and accessing the damage. Calling insurance and family if could. Some cell phones worked some did not.
Power was back on in less than 36 hours after storm hit. Alabama Power worked all day and all night.
Nobody was killed here or hurt extremely badly.
Several animals that were thought dead or blow away came out of hiding and rejoined their families. Much rejoicing.
By 1/24/12 several aid groups were giving out tarps, food, water, and ice.
Who deserves credit?
Sheriffs, EMTs, Fire Department and the cities of Clay, Pinson, and Trussville who sent everything and everyone they had to help. The knew what to do (assumed from training) and got things organized and going in less than two hours after the storm.
Clay Methodist Church deserves special recognition for coordinating aid groups in the area that wanted to help.
Alabama Power deserves all the praise you can give them for working in abominable rain to get the power restored in less than 48 hours.
AlaGasCo deserves credit for doing the dangerous work of finding and stopping gas leaks.
Every man and woman that got out at 4:00 A.M. in the dark and rain to help those worst hit deserve special thanks. There were no racists in Alabama on January 23, 2012, just helpers.
Every church denomination and the Salvation Army deserve thanks for food, health supplies, ice, and moral support.
All the contractors that worked all night getting tarps on damaged houses and covering broken windows deserve worlds of thanks. There was one long hared cowboy that climbed to the top of one house (80 to 100 feet off the ground) with no support and put a tarp on the house by himself. That guy has a set.
All the people who came out to help clean up deserve special thanks. They did not have to but they came in hundreds and maybe thousands just to this area.
This is my third tornado. I never felt any fear – none - was just too busy. Just here to help.
Relatively normal after almost a week. Lots of work to be done.
Thanks again to all the people that risked themselves and worked like slaves to help others in this time of need.
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