My Tornado Story...

I SURVIVED APRIL 27th (PG, AL) 

    "A year ago today my Creator gave my family another chance to LIVE! In a sense I was baptized...I was stripped of everything I wanted and left with only what I NEEDED. I realized my mission and witnessed true love from my friends...and in top of it all, I have my family, my life, and a new outlook. GOD is GOOD! Don't wait til you almost see Him to realize and live in it...."--PLJ3

GOOGLE SPACE... PLEASANT GROVE, AL

Wow...right??!! I think this is a great starting point for this post. I live(d) in Pleasant Grove, Alabama and I survived an E-5 tornado that killed 200 some people on April 27, 2011. (Give thanks.)

I used to watch the weather reports but I NEVER LISTENED--get it?

THAT MORN: The day started with some storms. We didn't feel the affects but I knew there was some damage. I called to check on my husband's grandmother and she tells me her power is out. Of course, I stop at Jacks and pick her up some biscuits... I feel badly for her but her and her neighbors are just chilling on the porch:) So I let her know that I will bring her back some groceries that would sustain her throughout the day without the use of power. I pick myself up some things--you know how folks rush the grocery store before bad weather--well, I was trying to beat THAT rush.

NOONish: I delivery her groceries and then I pick up the girls early from school. We do homework, we rode bikes, it was a normal day?! (I laugh at the word normal). I began "watching" the news and weather coverage, as the wind picked up...

3:00pm: I called Patrick several times worried because he hadn't made it home yet. "You should be home!!" He tells me Granny didn't want to come over, she will just stay put.

4/5PM: I remember my husband finally making it home. He's changed into his lounge gear and is watching the news on the couch with the girls laying next to him. Sasha, the dog, is VERY antsy... She's about six months and I thought she needed to go out. I remember running in... There was debris dropping out of the sky like out of a science fiction story. large pieces of metal roofing? WTH??! By now the power is out...I hear a groaning sound. The aluminum framed windows? The roof pulling off? Have you ever felt TERROR? Not like a scary roller coaster ride, but terror like something is about to fu@king happen, an imminent death? Thats how I felt when I yelled, "We need to go downstairs!" No lights-running down the stairs. Sasha on the leash. I remember falling. Chaos. Sasha jets. Where are my glasses? The girls were right behind me, with Patrick bringing up the rear. At the bottom of the stairwell we literally fell into a football huddle. Praying. Wind, Debris speckles. Dust. What is hitting my face? Why do I feel all this wind? Is there a door open? I never open my eyes. Silence. "Where is Sasha?" A daughter asks. I reply, "Maybe, she's upstairs?" Me--I had no clue that there was NO upstairs. Patrick goes upstairs to take a look. I think I'm in shock. Maia. tells me her ankle hurts...

Patrick moves us to his studio area. Which is where we should've been anyway... (PREPARE,PREPARE).

We leave the girls there together for a moment. Patrick finds my phone, his phone... Strange. The strangest moment though was going to our room and finding my wedding ring on the dresser. No walls left but my ring was right were I left it. I head back to the girls while Patrick tries to find shoes... (MAIA says, LEAVE SHOES IN YOUR SAFE PLACE, SO YOU WONT HAVE TO SEARCH FOR THEM IN AN EMERGENCY).

Patrick, my hero, leaves to go check on the rest of the neighbors. Mr and Mrs Wilson an older couple were still in their basement. He removes the debris so they can get out. Ms. Evelyn said she was SO glad to hear his voice. He also went in search of Mr. Lexi Bennett to check on Mai's leg, but he was dealing with a body that was in a ravine. (may that soul rest in peace).

We waited in his truck (our vehicles were safe in the garage), while I found and put in ONE contact! "I can see, now!" (Other glasses wearers can relate) When Patrick returned, he convinced me (meaning I was afraid to leave the safe place where we were) that we must leave. So he lifted Maia onto his back and carried her over and under the many trees we encountered. Not a few minutes out the door we ran across one EMT!?? Who was he? How did he get up so far into the neighborhood?!!  An angel? He confirmed Mai's ankle being most likely fractured. Another older lady Mrs. Finch was injured and was already on the stretcher... So Patrick passes Maia to me and helps lift the stretcher over a fallen tree. I pass her back and we soon part ways with the EMT. Because of her injury we ride the back of a truck, a golf cart-- EVERYONE was helping EACH OTHER! We make it to City Hall. where I get one call out... Cathy Howard. She's always within reach:) The signals were sketchy after the tornado hit. I couldnt reach my dad, my mother, but somehow it rang for Cathy! She called my family for me and was getting ready to pick us up.

First pics taken immediately after the storm/ The girl's bedroom

I finally reached Patrick's grandmother to let her know we were alright. I wanted to make light of the situation so I say" The house is gone, but we're fine--and I've got groceries!" (In reference to the grocery shopping trip I made earlier that day)--Needless to say, she did not find that comment funny.

 Cathy didn't know PG well enough to maneuver around the block points, so we call Thed Weller aka Al Elliott. We hopped 2 more rides past the checkpoints so we could get out of PG. It was raining, we were wet, we were in a bad spot and then Thed FINALLY found us! AAAaaahhhh!! We were leaving this bombed warzone!

Much respect to the team of guys who hiked back up to the house with Patrick the next day, They brought back Sasha and some other belongings...Love you guys, Wiley Swain, Q. Lee and Brandon, Al Elliott,  John Paul.

From the page of PG Tornado Book

Cathy, love you for all that you have done for me.
The ladies-- Kibibi Jones and Laura Luke for the gift packages to the girls (SO thoughtful) Yogi--for your prayer (and the couch for my cuz Joshua Scott- who made it down from Indiana!) Karen Harris, Bridgette Jeter, Mimi Latoine-- Your sistership made a woman feel uplifted during this time. Thank you ladies, for the extra mile.
The parents!
Bea for the insurance convos.
Red Light...Big Gen, Tig,
Dr Anika Wilson
MY INDIANA FAMILY--WOW/Overwhelming love--they always show up and show out!
My brother came in on the tail end to help move stuff out. Dr. Ischaji Robertson, brought out the muscles as we got the house ready for demo.

I think the effects were very overwhelming to some of the friends who made it up to the house. We returned that weekend and Patrick's father had to take a moment... I thought he was going to faint. I used this horrible devastation to become closer to God, family and to appreciate life AND LIVE it differently. I (We were) was spared to live another day... Amen





<--JP reflects...

This grocery basket was in our house when we bought it. Each year, I said its gotta go--then it became storage for my tarps, in the garage... It saved manpower this day, though!! LOL. It went above and beyond it's duty of simple grocery cart. Thank you, cart.

 The guys walking to the house...

  

There's a bird's nest in my closet-->




Though, no one in my neighborhood was severely injured there were MANY lives taken and two fatalities that I know of...
One, right after the storm that my neighbor assisted with. The second situation came to be known on the next day when the guys went back to the house.

WHEN YOU HEAR OF AN UPCOMING WEATHER ISSUE, PLEASE KNOW THE WEATHERMEN ARENT REALLY PULLING STRAWS ANYMORE-- THESE ARE CALCULATED GUESSES WITH MORE ACCURACY THAN IN THE PAST!! TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. A COUPLE SECONDS WAS ALL IT TOOK FOR OUR FAMILY. BE CAREFUL AND PAY ATTENTION!

(REST IN PEACE)

This was our bedroom... The dresser that my ring was on top of--after the storm!

As, I end this.. WHO STOLE MY QUEEN SIZED PILLOW TOPPED MATTRESS BED?? (I didn't need it--but, STILL??)

-mnj/creativegeek

Good times in PG. I loved my house, It had character!

THANKS FOR READING!
ALL PHOTOS BY MARIKA JOHNSON, WILEY SWAIN, JOHN PAUL TAYLOR