On April 27, 2011, six southern US states were devasted by several bands of severe thunderstorms, which produced over 20 tornados. There were over 200 confirmed deaths in Alabama alone. Many of our members and subscribers may know that our office is in Anniston, Alabama, which is midway between Birmingham and Atlanta. The downtown city of Tuscaloosa, which is about 40 miles west of Birmingham and the home of the University of Alabama, was just about flattened.
I was still at the office as weather alarms started going off that evening. I immediately departed for home. Annie and I went into our basement where we were able to continue watching the weather on TV. Around 7:50 pm, a tornado formed about a mile from our office. Luckily, it never touched down and passed over a few minutes later. The only damage we sustained was a blown network switch. That was promptly replaced the next morning.
The worst part for us was around 8:45 pm. A vortex was detected just west of the Talledega, which is about 20 miles southwest of our home in Oxford. Winds quickly accelerated to 70 miles per hour and were once reported to be over 150. It was then confirmed to be a tornado. Weathermen stated that it was heading directly for an area right between the Army depot at Bynum and Hobson City. This area of Oxford is the location of my home. Annie and I had no choice but to remain in our basement and pray for the best.
What happened next surprised us. When the tornado got about 10 miles to the northwest of our home, it completely disappeared. The super cell storm that surrounded it began to dissipate. The official tornado warning was cancelled by the weather service. We were very lucky.
In addition to hundreds of death, thousands have been injured, and homes and businesses completely destroyed. And, that is not the whole story. During the month of April we have had several lesser -- but still devastating -- storms cross this area. Clearly, the impact has been and will continue to be traumatic. The rescue phase is just about complete. Our political leaders, to include President Obama, who will arrive in TUscaloosa within the hour, are stepping up, consoling, and inspiring people to move forward. However, the adults and children in this area have just gone through a very traumatic event, which will impact their lives for decades.
If you are located within the affected states, our hearts go out to you. I hope that you and your family survived this tragedy. However, if were not directly affected or are capable of being of service, I would like you to consider how can use your skills to help. I first considered donating a day or so of my time and provide free stress relief sessions for those affected in our area. However, we wanted to do something on a larger scale. Meanwhile, we decided to provide free copies of our popular Stress Eliminator MP3 via download through Stress.TimBrunson.com. As we continue to explore how we can make a healing difference, I would encourage you to do the same.
Annie and I are extremely glad that we survived what could have devasted our neighbors and us personally and financially. Being nearly missed by a tornado makes one reevaluate priorities. Indeed, we have lots for which to be thankful.
