Thursday, April 28, 2011

Tuscaloosa

These images from Tuscaloosa are so heartbreaking. Last night Nicki called me. Her former roommate, Rachael, and her husband live in Tuscaloosa where Dan is going to school. They were right in the middle of this tornado and had such a harrowing experience. Apparently they saw the tornado coming, ran into the bathroom and when it was over opened the bathroom door to see their apartment completely gone. They were standing outside. Then Rachael, a nurse, heard someone screaming for help. She found her neighbor just a couple of doors down (or what used to be a couple of doors down) and she was in pretty bad shape. Rachael tried to stabilize her, but she died while Rachael was working on her. Shortly thereafter, Dan and Rachael's hometeachers came and rescued them. Their car was also demolished. This has been such a traumatic experience for this young couple. Please remember them, and all those who are suffering from these destructive tornados in your prayers.

update: watch Rachael's CNN phone interview here:

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2011/04/28/exp.tsr.tornado.survivor.intv.cnn.html

5 comments:

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  2. Aunt Caroline,

    I served in Tuscaloosa and experienced many devastating tornados while I was there. However, I was luck enough to never have an experience like this. I will keep them in my prayers.

    If you are in contact with them will you ask if everyone in the Tuscaloosa ward is safe, specifically the Richettos?

    Thank you!

    Jenn

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  3. oh my gosh!!! that's awful! that's so sad that woman died. i can't even imagine-and i don't want to....so sorry!

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  4. Caroline this is just devastating for them. I have a friend in Jackson Mississippi and they have had their troubles too. She is a kindergarten teacher and she huddled together with her class with all the kids crying for Mommy as one passed right beside their school last week.

    Sara lived in Waveland, Mississippi right where Katrina made landfall and totaled her life and everything her family had and she said, "Give me a hurricane any day compared to a tornado." She is a friend of Laura's and came with Laura and her boys to spend nine weeks with us after the hurricane. Sara lived with Laura when Robert was deployed otherwise she may have not lived to tell her story. She is from a long line of "stayers" when hurricanes come but they have all changed their tune after Katrina.

    I will pray for this young couple and many like them.

    Hugs, B

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  5. thank you for your love and support! we can feel your prayers on our behalf. :) we just got into a new apartment so we are just working on getting settling in, just taking it a day at a time!

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