Wow - just checked out the news about the tornado's down south. Tuscaloosa has at least 32 confirmed dead. I'm scheduled to deliver in Tuscaloosa tomorrow - I'm just south of Louisville now (under a tornado watch as well). Have to wait until morning to have our customer service try to contact the consignee to see if I'm actually delivering this load or not. I tried to find a map of what part of the city the tornado actually hit, but can't locate anything yet.

My prayers are out to anyone affected in this latest rash of storms.

 

Power is off all around Chattanooga, TN. It has been off for at least a couple of hours. They are not sure when power will be restored. It is probably the same storm. Hopefully, the power will be back on shortly. There was plenty of wind and the media were telling residents earlier to find shelter. I don't recall them ever telling people to find shelter. I have no idea the extent of damage, other than the electric is out. Evidently, it is a large storm. I spoke to a driver earlier today and he told me that his wife said there were tornado warnings over part of Pennsylvania. Be careful.

 

The article I just read said the there was a possible tornado in your area this evening, over by Tiftonia.

Storms kill 72 around South, including 58 in Ala. - Yahoo! News

Mal.......The article doesn't say what all was damaged in Tuscaloosa....but there was plenty of it for sure! Be safe! There were tornados in the Huntsville area.

 

Tiftonia is on the other side of town from where we live. Huntsville is only about 100 miles away. It is amazing that there are so many tornado's nearby. We are not accustomed to having tornado's. I am sorry to hear about so many death's.

 

Outskirt communities of Birmingham:


I have a pic of downtown Tuscaloosa from a friend but I can't get it to load on here, looks like a bomb went off near the Home Depot on either University or 82.

 

From TWC

Tuscaloosa tornado on Live TV:


University of Alabama:






They are saying the same cell hit Cullman first with a small little twister that tore up a church before unleashing the monster on Tuscaloosa and eventually Birmingham. The pics of McFarland Blvd and around Tuscaloosa look like it was every bit of a 4-5. 15 confirmed dead by nightfall in Tuscaloosa alone, today they will begin really searching and it's expected that the death toll will rise.

 

Getting ready to head that direction right now. I have to call back into dispatch after 8am so they can get the CSR to try to contact the consignee. I won't even think of going in there unless I get an all-clear from the customer.

Unreal

The only bright side is that the weather looks a lot better over here today. But, those storms are in NC, SC & VA now.

The area I'm delivering to is pretty much the north-east section of Tuscaloosa, south of the river. Looks to be about 2 miles off the US-11 loop.

If I do go in, I'll try to get some photo's. I didn't bring my camera, but can use the EVO.

 

Was just getting ready to leave the rest area and dispatch called. They said for me to not go past Glendale, KY until they have 100% confirmation on the situation there. We have a drop-yard in Birmingham, but they don't know the status of that yard, either.

Gonna be a fun day.

 

NE Tuscaloosa is destroyed, you'll be lucky to get near there. Birmingham, Pratt City in particular is also destroyed.

As for the weather people saying the same one hit Cullman first, they were wrong geographically.

 

One of the photo's (I think the Home Depot one) is roughly 1 mile from the delivery location. With a 1-mile wide tornado, the place will be lucky to still be standing.

I love dispatch shift changes - just sent a message to my day-shift dispatch to see if they've heard what I'm doing with this load yet. She asked why, and why was I parked with a 13:00 appt today 400+ miles away. I told her to look at any news website and she'd understand.