No Words

Due to the massive tornado outbreaks in my beloved state of Alabama last week, my plans to spend last weekend at my sister’s lake place on Lake Martin for our annual girl’s weekend were cancelled.   Instead she came to Montgomery to stay with us and we had a great time shopping.    She was able to get to her lake house on her way to Montgomery and fortunately it was spared.    But so many others have lost literally everything, including lives, many still unaccounted for.

Sunday afternoon my husband and I drove up to Lake Martin.    While the images you see on television and the ones I’m sharing below are disturbing, it does not adequately capture the actual horror of what has taken place.

Traveling on Highway 9 toward Santuck, the first significant damage I saw was a nursery leveled.    We have stopped at this nursery and bought plants from time to time on our way home from the lake.    

 

You could see the path the tornado took by the effected areas.    Some places were utterly destroyed yet their neighbor was spared.    I’m going to just share some pictures and let them do the talking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the above photos were taking on Mount Hebron Road.    Some of the debris had been cleared off the road but both sides of the highway were just unbelievable.   Many utility trucks were already replacing power lines.     You could hear chain saws and see neighbors helping the neighbors dig out….if there was anything to salvage.

 

Next we came to Mount Hebron Baptist Church.    It was totally leveled to the ground.    The story is a table was the only thing left of the church with a Bible on it….the Bible was opened and one word jumped out….BELIEVE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another church destroyed

 

 

My husband always called this the “Leave It To Beaver” house….now destroyed

 

Turning onto Co. Rd. 399 you could see the path the tornado continued on

 

 

 

 

Just past these homes (and not a mile from my sister’s lake house) here’s what we saw….

….like nothing had happened!

 

We headed over to Children’s Harbor which we heard had been destroyed.   My daughter’s wedding reception was held at the lighthouse there and she got married at The Church in the Pines so I was really worried when I heard this.    Thankfully the Church and lighthouse were not touched but many of the cabins located on the property that are used for special needs children were in bad shape.

It is going to take quite some time to rebuild and some places may never recover.    The loss of life is staggering.     Thank you to everyone who has expressed concern and offered prayers and help.    Please keep us in your prayers….we are grateful to all of you.