My Tornado Diary, Intro 3

Introduction, page 3

April 27, 2011, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Forest Lake neighborhood

My heart was pounding so hard, and it felt like my brain was drowning in mud. I checked my room quickly and there was only 1 broken window and it was not too bad. I shut all the doors and barricaded them. I was missing a kitty. I slid my feet into my boots and did not take time to tie them, found my glasses, and went out to check the rest of the house. There was a lot of broken glass. I could see my neighbor’s backyard and it was trashed. I opened my front door, and there were huge trees fallen in the front yard.

IMAG2538 april 27 front yard Tanya Mikulas Tuscaloosa tornado 2011

I stuck my head all the way out my door, and saw the sunroof of my car.

IMAG2535 april 27 passat Tanya Mikulas Tuscaloosa tornado 2011

Damn, I loved that car.

I could see the whole sky, and this place was called Forest Lake for a reason. Reason, gone. But nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see. When I walked out to the corner of my yard, everything was gone.

Everything. Gone.

Forest Lake neighborhood, minutes after the epic 4/27/2011 Tuscaloosa tornado (photographer Tanya Mikulas)
Forest Lake Drive apocalypse, Tuscaloosa Alabama, 5:16 PM April 27, 2011

I remember thinking, everybody down there is dead. There are bodies everywhere. I took a very short video:

and a few photos and raced back to the house to check on my neighbors. I was on their porch at their door when they first came out, and I saw them see, and those faces are etched into my brain forever. But I was glad to see them alive.

 


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Other Links:

Disaster Life home page

My Tornado Diary, Intro

My Tornado Diary Chapter 1

DrT phonetography home

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