Selma tornado .. I'm there and SAFE.

[Bo Zarts]

Last edited Thu Jan 12, 2023, 07:54 PM - Edit history (1)

It must have hit shortly before I arrived on my drive from the west. It is very bad. All routes out of town seem to be closed down. I’m on 14 towards Prattville, and .. more later.


Later: I lost my cell connection. Finally did a 180 on SR14, and worked over to my original route .. US-80E. I’m safe and sound in Montgomery now. The Selma tornado story is all over the news.

[panader0]

1. Perhaps some photos?

Stay safe.

[we can do it]

9. Somebody had to ask!

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

13. here

[malaise]

2. Stay safe

[SheltieLover]

3. Glad you are safe!

[Ocelot II]

4. Looks pretty bad.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/12/us/tornado-storm-damage-alabama/index.html

[7wo7rees]

5. Thank heavens you came in behind!

Stay safe.

Ms7wo7rees

[Pacifist Patriot]

6. Oh wow. One of my college roommates was from Selma. Spent some time there..

in the summers. Church Street I think it was. How terrible!!!

Glad you are safe.

[brer cat]

7. I'm glad you are safe, Bo.

I hope you stay that way!

[barbtries]

8. I'm glad you're safe!

keep us posted please

[cab67]

10. True story -

Firstly - I'm glad to know you're OK!

Several years ago, I visited some museum collections in Mississippi and Alabama. (There are several deposits in the region ranging in age from around 90 million through 60 million years ago that preserve fossil crocodyliforms.) This included collections at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and the McWane Science Center in Birmingham.

An F-5 hit Tuscaloosa on the day of my visit. The collections at UA are in a building that could tolerate a Hiroshima-sized a-bomb attack, and I was in a windowless room, so all I knew was that the announcements over the PA system went from "A tornado watch is in effect for this county" through "A tornado warning has been issued - please seek shelter immediately" all the way to "Pray to your gods."

I was staying with a colleague who worked there at the time. His neighborhood was undamaged. But on the drive to Birmingham the following day, there were areas that looked like they'd been carpet-bombed. It was sobering to see.

Ironically, the IMAX movie being shown at the McWane Center was "Tornado Alley." I almost went to see it, but a tight schedule and insufficient sense of chutzpah kept me from doing so..

(This is also the trip where I discovered that Bear Bryant's wife's shoes are part of the collections at the University of Alabama. It looked like they were accessioned in the natural history collections, but I suspect that's wrong. I was sheltered around them while the tornado passed by. Each pair was in its own clear plastic storage box. The whole collection was kept on top of a set of cabinets holding an enormous antique Barbie doll collection - and I know it went back to the dawn of Barbie because the "astronaut Barbie" was wearing a Mercury-era suit.)

I can also say - if you find yourself in Birmingham, the McWane Science Center has some excellent exhibits.

[niyad]

11. May all be safe and well.

[highplainsdem]

12. Glad you're safe. So very sorry to hear about all the damage there.

Years ago I nearly moved to Jopin a couple of years before the tornado there. The house I'd been most interested in was destroyed, with people in neighboring houses killed. I'd wanted the house for its hillside location and great view to the SW.

Tornados hit only relatively small areas, but they're so damn deadly where they do hit...

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

14. video