rebuild: one year later

THE CULLMAN TIMES | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012PAGE 2

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THE CULLMAN TIMES | FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 PAGE 3

By Loretta Gillespie

In the quiet stillness of a weekday morning, with the sunpouring through the stained glass in the sanctuary ofCullman’s First United Methodist Church, you would never

know that this place was left in a shambles from a mighty rush-ing wind almost one year ago today.

The church, some parts of which are over a century old, justfinished construction and rebuilding of the sections of thebuilding which were damaged by the April 27, 2011, tornadothat swept through downtown Cullman and other parts ofCullman County and North Alabama.

The roof was lifted off the majestic rock structure, and theoriginal windows on the south side were shattered into millionsof pieces.

“The windows were over 90 years old, “said Associate PastorByron Vance, looking up at the multi-hued panels that havejust been installed. “They were created by an Italian artist in

Cullman First United Methodist Church

LORETTA GILLESPIE/THE CULLMAN TIMESThe “Woman at the Well” was replaced after a mighty rushing wind ravaged the south side of the church, taking with it millions of pieces of heirloom stained glass. Thereplacement windows match incredibly well, despite the originals being installed in the 1920s.

FILECullman’s First United Methodist Church is seen minutes after the tornado hit downtown Cullman.Please see METHODIST Page 4


the 1920s and we were wor-ried that they couldn’t beduplicated,” he said.

The new windows may nothave the patina that the olderones had, but looking acrossthe sanctuary toward thenorth-facing windows, onecan tell no difference in theoriginals and the new win-dows.

“There were only threewindows damaged on thenorth side, while on the southside, all the windows had tobe replaced,” he explained.

In the arch, high above thepews, in the huge central wallof the front of the statelychurch, the depiction in glassof the Good Shepherd with alamb looks down over thecongregation on Sundays andout over the streets ofCullman, a landmark for allwho come this way.

It too, was broken andshattered due to the storm.Now it is whole again, servingas a reminder that much likethe hearts of the people whocall this church home, it ishealed.

The lovely hand-hookedprayer cushions that line thealter were not damaged, norwas the flooring. “In 2001 thechurch was carpeted in here,”said Vance. “But it was wetafter the storm and when itwas taken up for replace-ment, the original hardwoodfloors were discovered to bein good shape so the decisionwas made not to replace thecarpet.”

Vance says that the hard-wood floors actually help theacoustics in the huge sanctu-ary. “The organ and the choirvoices actually bouncearound in here now allowingus to handle and harnessthose sounds,” he said.

It’s been a long year foreveryone in the community,but the rebuilding of land-marks like this one are proofof the resilience, strength andfaith of the people who liveand worship here.

METHODISTFROM PAGE 3

LORETTA GILLESPIE/THE CULLMAN TIMES“The Good Shepherd” is the largest of the windows in the sanctu-ary. This one was familiar to everyone who passed along the streetsof Cullman and admired its beauty.

LORETTA GILLESPIE/THE CULLMAN TIMESFirst United Methodist Church’s pipe organ.

LORETTA GILLESPIE/THE CULLMAN TIMESThe carpet in the sanctuary was ruined by the massive amounts ofwater and debris that the storm brought with it. It had beenreplaced in 2001. When it was taken up following the storm, theoriginal hardwood floors were revealed. They look wonderful, andaccording to Associate Pastor Byron Vance, they have added a fullerresonance to the acoustics in the building.

LORETTA GILLESPIE/THE CULLMAN TIMESJesus in the garden of Gethsemane. The original windows, installedin the 1920s, were crafted by an Italian artist. Church members andstaff were worried that modern artists might not be able to replicatethe original works, but they seem to have done a wonderful job ofmatching the windows that were lost to the storm.


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By Ashley GravesSTAFF WRITER

Officials with the City ofCullman Fire Department arestill urging local residentswith storm shelters and saferooms to register them withthe department.

According to Fire ChiefEdward Reinhardt, Jr., theinformation will be valuableto the department so thatresponders will know where tosearch in the event of stormssuch as the ones that hit onthis day a year ago.

"We thought it would be agood idea after the storms lastyear," Reinhardt said. "Thatway, if you have a house that'spartially destroyed, we'll beable to make sure everyone isidentified and that everyone isout safe."

He added that though theydidn’t have any particularproblems on April 27, a lot oftimes it can be hard to locate

places at night if the power isout, signs are down and debrisis everywhere.

“It can be hard to get ori-ented with where you’re at,”Reinhardt said. “So, if we have

a shelter registered ahead oftime, it will make it easier toidentify and make things

move much quicker.”All shelters and safe rooms

being registered must meetFEMA certification.

Reinhardt asks that all theinformation, including theowner’s name, address, con-tact information and physicallocation of the shelter or saferoom be emailed to thedepartment at [email protected] to keepfrom tying up the depart-ment's phone lines. He saidonce the information isreceived, it will them be putinto a GPS used only by thedepartment.

"The information will bekept private and used by ourdepartment solely for purpos-es of search and rescue in theevent of storms or disasters"Reinhardt said.

➤ Ashley Graves can bereached by phone at 734-2131,ext. 225 or by email [email protected]

By Benjamin BullardSTAFF WRITER

If you don’t live in a locationthat has a storm shelter or saferoom on site, there are severalplaces in Cullman County thatoffer designated communityshelters — nearly all of themrecently built.

Whether you go east, west,north or south, there’s at leastone community shelter locat-ed in each quadrant of thecounty, as well as in the City ofCullman. With eight locationsin all — and at least three moresoon to be completed inHanceville — there’s enoughroom between all the sheltersto welcome, at a minimum, acombined 1,500 people atonce.

Service animals are the only

pets allowed at any of the shel-ters, and the maximum capac-ity of each varies, dependingon the size. Some are alwaysopen, and other are openedonly by designated volunteersin the event of a severe weath-er alert. But nearly all of themare pod-style units that havebeen installed within the pastsix years, and all of the sheltersare approved to be safe andavailable when needed by theCullman County EMA.

Following is a list of allEMA-verified shelters inCullman County. If you live inor near Hanceville, it won’t belong before shelters in yourcity are added to this list:

➤ Vinemont/Providencevolunteer fire department #1— Located on County Road1335. Capacity — approxi-

mately 100. The FEMA-approved shelter is opened bythe Vinemont volunteer firedepartment when a watch-level tornado alert for the areahas been issued.

➤Vinemont/Providencevolunteer fire department # 2— Located on Ridgeway Streetin the town of South Vinemont.Capacity — approximately 100.The FEMA-approved shelter isopened by the Vinemont vol-unteer fire department when awatch-level tornado alert forthe area has been issued.

➤Garden City town hall —Located on U.S. Highway 31South in Garden City. Capacity— approximately 450 spreadacross five units. The FEMA-approved shelter is opened bythe town when a watch-leveltornado alert has been issued.

➤Fairview HousingAuthority — Located on WesleyAvenue in Fairview; adjacent to96 Countryside Acres Road.Capacity— approximately 100.Doors at this FEMA-approvedshelter are open at all times.

➤Jones Chapel - ChapelVillage — Located at JonesChapel on U.S. Highway 278West, at 74 County Road 1034.Capacity — approximately 100.Doors at this FEMA-approvedshelter are open at all times.

➤Dodge City — Located inthe basement of the DodgeCity town hall, 130 HowardCircle just west of Interstate 65at exit 299. Capacity —unknown. The basement isopened by the town of DodgeCity when a watch-level torna-do alert has been issued.

➤Good Hope — Located in

the basement of Good Hopecity hall, 134 Town Hall Drivejust west of Interstate 65 at exit304. Capacity — approximately100. Doors are open at alltimes.

➤City of Cullman —Located in the basement hall-way of the Cullman CountyCourthouse, 500 2nd AvenueSW. Capacity — unknown. Thecourthouse basement isopened and staffed byCullman County maintenanceemployees after hours when awatch-level tornado alert hasbeen issued.

➤Benjamin Bullard can bereached by e-mail [email protected] orby telephone at 734-2131 ext.270.

Need still exists for storm shelters

Know where public storm shelters are before a storm hits

FILEKeith and Deborah Crumbley, seen June 2011, talk with an onlooker about how they survived the April27 tornado that destroyed their Simcoe home by taking shelter in the safe room pictured in the back-ground. The Crumbleys obtained their safe room in 2004 under a federal grant program similar to aforthcoming one that will make funds available to county residents for installation of shelters on resi-dential private property.


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By Loretta GillespieCORRESPONDENT

The Weir family lives in apiece of Cullman history.Their house was once a

hospital. Cullman dentist Dr.James Edwards was born here,his grandchildren played withthe Weir children, perhapseven in the room where theirgrandfather was born.

When the hospital movedto town, the house was hometo three families. The builder,a Mr. Richter, lived in thebasement. Later the housewas owned by a Mrs. Tew, wholived here until the early ‘90s.For a short while another fam-ily owned the house. TheWeirs bought it from them.

The Weirs were only thethird owners of the house,which was built in 1910. OnApril 27, 2012, Kent Weir heardabout the tornado. He loadedup his family, daughters Allie,16, and Shelby, 12, his wife,Mimi, their 19-year-old son,Kohl, and two friends, anddrove toward downtown.“We’re going to see a tornado,”he told them.

When they got to the end ofthe street, they actually sawthe twister hit the courthouse.It took them about two min-utes to get back home, pile outof the car and dive into thebasement. During this timethe tornado was laying wasteto the Busy Bee, East SideBarber Shop, the First UnitedMethodist Church, Little Bit ofEverything, and anything elsethat got in its way. It was stillhungry for more.

They heard the popping oflimbs and debris first. “Itsounded like men with ham-mers,” recalled Weir.

Then there came the windshowling overhead. “Thatsounded like a jet engine,”Weir described. It was so loud,in fact, that they didn’t hearthe 200-year-old oak treecrash down on the sunroomjust above their heads, but

they felt the shock as it wasabsorbed by the 2x4s in thewalls. “I wondered what wasgoing to come apart,” herecalled.

In silence, the family andfriends watched as trees flewpast the basement windows,then the tornado moved pastthem and on down towardLarkwood, ripping giant oaktrees out of the ground as itwent.

The silence was brokenwhen 19-year-old Kohl Weirbegan to sing the Lord’sPrayer. The rest of the family

joined in. A couple of minuteslater the family emerged fromthe basement into a differentworld. “There were trees downeverywhere,” said Weir.“Houses were torn apart, peo-ple were starting to call out totheir neighbors to see if theywere alright. We were in aweof what we saw,” he said.

The first thing the Weirs didwas make their way across thebarricade of trees to check ona neighbor, George Benson,who lives alone. Everyone inthe neighborhood made surethat people were accounted

for. Compared to the chaosoutside, inside their homethings were strangely normal.Other than lots of cracks inthe plaster walls, nothing wasdisturbed, not the dishes inthe cabinets, the pictures onthe walls, or Kent Weir’s 130-gallon salt water aquarium.

“This house was built withsomething called ‘floatingconstruction,’ which absorbedthe shock and protected itfrom the tornado,” explainedWeir.

Whatever the case, itworked. When all around

them neighbors were lookingfor their valuables among therubble of their homes, theWeirs’ home was intact —except for the sunroom.

It was four months beforethe contractors began strip-ping the lathe and plasterwalls. “We had to bring every-thing up to code, all thewiring, electrical, plumbingand lighting had to bestripped and replaced orredone,” said Weir.

They saved the originalmoldings and the beautiful

Weir family rides out storm

THE WEIR FAMILYShelby Weir, 12, beside a massive tree trunk and it's roots. The Weirs lost a total of six trees, all more than 200 years old, two of themwere at least 80 feet tall. At one point, Shelby sat down and counted tree rings, but got tired after 200.

Please see WEIRS Page 10


hardwood floors, they put ininsulation, which was a firstfor the house, then theyreplaced the sheetrock, butleft some of the beautifulbrick walls exposed in someareas.

The insurance would haveprobably totaled the house,but the Weirs were deter-mined to rebuild. “There wasno way they were going totear this house down,”declared Weir. “The walls ofthis house are three layers ofbrick and rock, 18 inchesthick,” he said. “It was wellbuilt so there was no structur-al damage.”

Outside, two of the familycars and a camper weretotaled. “There were so manytrees down oneverything…overturned cars,on houses, and all over thestreets.”

The Weirs own two KFCfranchises and Back YardBurgers. All their meat was indanger of ruining because noone in town, or for milesaround, had electricity.

“We brought all our meathome and cooked on thegrill,” he said. “We cooked 250pounds of chicken, and over75 pounds of hamburgermeat.”

Weir’s daughters loaded upa wagon and pulled it up anddown the street, offering it toanyone who was cleaning upor to neighbors, who had lostall their food.

Luckily, the family has ahouse on Smith Lake, so theydo have a place to stay, butthey are understandably anx-ious to be back at home.

They will have a few thingsto get accustomed to — a newmaster bath and bedroomwere installed upstairs. Thekitchen has been opened upto make it more modern.

As for the family, the girlsare traumatized. Allie is readyto move back home, whetherthe builders are finished or

not.“Walker Brothers has done

an excellent job,” said Weir.“They say that we will be backhome by the end of July.”

Point of interest: Out backthere’s an oak tree that standsabout 20 feet tall. Its leavesare shining with new springgrowth. All around the neigh-borhood you can still seehundreds of others that top-pled when the winds ragedthrough here. Perhaps thereason this one still stands isthat it comes from such ven-erable rootstock — Kentplanted it as a sapling. It camefrom Toomer’s Corner stock.

WEIRSFROM PAGE 9

THE WEIR FAMILYTaken from inside the house, the sunroom, straight ahead, took a direct hit from the 200-year-old oak. Oddly enough, although therewere cracks in all the plaster walls, nothing in any other part of the house was disturbed, not even the dishes.

THE WEIR FAMILY

The WeirFamilyThe Weir familywas in thebasement, justunder this sec-tion of theirhouse inCullman's his-toricdistrict, whenthe tree fell.They watchedas the tornadomade its wayon towardLarkwood.


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Philippians 4:13Remembering those that we lost that day.

Rebuilding for a better future.



Mike Bates didn't needmany words to describe whatthe 24-hour period was likefollowing the horrific April 27tornadoes for his organization.

All it took was one. Hectic.As the Red Cross director

reached his office that morn-ing, his phone rang about afamily, who's home inHanceville received damagefrom a line of storms thatmoved through in the earlymorning hours, needing shel-ter. It wasn't long after thatwhen he received the samephone call regarding a differ-ent family. He got anotherminutes later.

“I got three calls in less thanan hour of families needingshelter,” Bates said. “I’m notvery smart, but I figured a pat-tern was developing, and onceyou have that many, you startlooking at shelters instead ofhotels because of shearexpense and the number ofpeople.”

Immediately, Bates and theRed Cross went into sheltermode in Hanceville, setting upa trailer at a church. However,while trying to get things upand running, Bates, along witha host of others, were forced tododge wave after wave ofstorms — including the onethat hit downtown — from thelibrary near city hall. Becauseof that, it hampered efforts toget a shelter set up in Cullmanas well.

“About the time we wouldstart to leave, another warningwould go off,” Bates said. “Ithink we finally got back intoCullman around 10 that nightand came back to completedarkness. I had to pull over atKFC on Highway 31 just to getan idea of where I was.”

In the meantime, it wasn'tuntil hours later when hefound out the organization'sbuilding was in the path of theEF-4 tornado that tore through

downtown, creating anotherhurdle for them to try andclear.

“We had supplies in there,so of course we couldn't get tothose,” Bates said. “Luckily, wehad propositioned some sup-plies in a storage building, butwhen we went to get them, wecouldn't because we didn'thave electricity to open thegate.”

After making a few phonecalls to see who could help,Walmart came to the rescue.

“The manager showed upand let me in and gave us hun-dreds of dollars worth of stuffto get us started,” he said. “Bythen, the Distribution Centerhad kicked in, and the church-es had started full force.”

Food, food everywhereAs days went on, more and

more continued to pitch in andhelp those in need. Both Jacksand Tyson cooked for severaldays straight. In addition, sup-plies began rolling in from allover by the truck loads, some

from Red Cross and othersfrom different organizations.By the end, Bates said therewas so much that they sentsupplies out to other places.

“We, as Red Cross, did ourpart, but there were a lot ofother people that did their partas well,” Bates said. “So muchwork was done by volunteersand it was just amazing towatch everybody work togeth-er. There was food every-where.I don't think it matteredif you were the richest or thepoorest in Cullman, everybodychipped in together.”

Javon Daniel, director forCullman Caring For Kids FoodBank said his organization,too, was overwhelmed by theamount of supplies that cameporing in.

“In the months following,even though this communitywas hurt, people were still giv-ing,” Daniel said. “I'm sothankful to God because heblessed us and all of the peoplethat volunteered and con-tributed. He opened a window

and poured it out.”In all, Daniel said they had

food brought in from 26 differ-ent states. With that, he addedthey gave away 175 care boxesto different areas affected bythe storms.

“That was our way of beingan immediate impact,” Danielsaid.

Though the number of peo-ple coming in after the stormto get food wasn't as many asthey had expected, he said thenumbers in the moths sincethe storm have been up.

“Through some of the out-reach programs, they'll identi-fy a family that was hurt by thestorm and in need of food andsend them to us,” Daniel said."Even up until the last fewweeks, we were able to helpout through the food bank.”

The Red Cross shelter,which was set up at theCullman Civic Center,remained for a week beforemoving to the fairgrounds. Itwas there, where Red Crosshooked up with Unsheltered

International and continued tostock food for days upon end.

"Again, we've had lots ofpats on the back for what wewere able to do, but we werejust one of the many that pro-vided services in the followingdays and weeks," Bates said."One of the biggest benefits wewere able to provide was thetruck loads of stuff that wewere able to sent out. Peoplegave to us, and we were able togive to someone else."

Since that time, Bates said alot has been learned.

“The biggest thing that isstill helping us, is we haddozens of volunteers trained indisaster relief that weren'tbefore,” he said. “Now theyknow what to do, when to do itand where to do it. Red Crosshas now been restructured tohopefully better deal withthings like this in the future."

➤ Ashley Graves can bereached by phone at 734-2131,ext. 225 or by email [email protected]

Red Cross responds, learns during crisis

FILEThe Red Cross office was moved after its building was destroyed by the April 27 tornado.


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By Benjamin BullardSTAFF WRITER

Emergency officials saykeeping yourself and yourloved ones safe when severeweather comes along is most-ly a simple matter of aware-ness and preparedness.

There’s a lot of informationout there designed to helpfamilies stay informed andready — and, while much of itmay seem repetitive, state andlocal EMA officials point outthat there’s no such thing asbeing ‘too prepared’ or tooknowledgeable about safety.

Information complied bythe state EMA reveals thatAlabama has more tornado-related fatalities than anyother state, and ranks fifth inthe number of so-called ‘killertornadoes‘ — that is, torna-does responsible for at leastone fatality each — among the50 states.

Part of lowering suchunfortunate statistics mustrely on the public knowinghow to assess the situationthey’re in when a tornadocomes — and what the bestresponse for each situation is.

For example, if you’re trav-eling in a car when a tornadoimmediately threatens, youroptions for staying safe arevery different from, and morelimited than, those of a personwho’s at home watching theweather reports playing outon live TV.

In a wood-frame or mason-ry dwelling (or any other smallbuilding), the smallest interiorroom on the lowest level of thestructure (a basement ispreferable) is typically thespot safest from a tornado’swinds and the flying debristhey carry. Get underneath asturdy table or inside a bath-tub, with a cover of heavyblankets or quilts for skin pro-tection. If you can, use a bicy-cle or motorcycle helmet toprotect your head.

If you’re caught in a vehicleduring a tornado, on the otherhand, the Alabama EMA rec-

ommends either attemptingto outrun the storm — if youcan safely and surely assess itsdirection and speed — or topark and take shelter in aditch or other low-lying areathat puts sufficient distancebetween you and your car (orsimilar heavy objects). Best ofall, EMA literature advises notto “...put yourself in the posi-tion to have to choosebetween these options.”

Those who find themselvesa mobile home receive similaradvice: if you can, leave for aplace of greater safety. By stay-ing up to date on weather con-ditions and not being caughtunprepared, you can leave amobile home well in advanceof approaching severe weath-er and find shelter in a loca-tion you know to be safe.

In Cullman County, thereare at least eight community

safe rooms (and more on theway) that the local EMA hasverified as safe shelters fromtornadoes, and that areassured to be opened in theevent of a tornado watch orwarning. See the accompany-ing article for more on wherethese public shelters are locat-ed, as well as guidelines forusing them. They’re greatplaces to go if you live in amobile home or occupy anyother structure that won’twithstand tornado-strengthwinds.

In each of the above sce-narios, the most importantpoint to remember is to have aplan; to know what to do andwhere to go long before you’refaced with an urgent situationthat demands you to makeimpromptu choices aboutyour safety. EMA officials offera couple of tips that go a long

way toward helping individu-als and families know whatthey’ll do, and where they’llgo, when tornadoes sweepinto their area.

➤ Have a plan —For resi-dents of tornado-proneregions, responding to newsof an approaching tornadoshould become a matter ofacting on instinct. At work orin the home, determine whomyou’re responsible for protect-ing, and review the steps fortaking shelter with each per-son in that group.

Go over how each of youmust act in all the scenariosmentioned above, and makesure everyone knows exactlywhat responses are appropri-ate for each situation. Thendiscuss whom each shouldcontact after the storm, andwhat to do in the event ofpower outages, destruction or

— in the worst-case scenario— injury.

➤ Buy and program aNOAA weather radio — EMAofficials repeatedly stress thisis one of the single most sig-nificant things Alabamianscan do to ensure their safetyduring severe weather. That’sbecause weather radios doone thing, and do it well —they get your attention whentornadoes are approachingyou. NOAA weather radiosbroadcast National WeatherService updates continuously,but switch over to emergencyprogramming — signaled byan alert tone — when threat-ening weather approaches thelocation for which it is pro-grammed.

The radios are pro-grammed to respond tothreats that cover very specificlocations, in order to deliverinformation that’s relevantonly to those who reside inareas that are likely to beaffected. This technology —called SAME (Specific AreaMessage Encoding) — relieson the nearest NOAA weatherradio transmitter, and there’sone of those in CullmanCounty. Its transmitter num-ber is 001043. Visithttp://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/same.htm for informationon how to program yourweather radio, or contact theCullman County EmergencyManagement Office at 256-739-5410 for assistance.

➤ Keep essential info athand — Visithttp://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/Family_Emergency_Plan.pdffor a handy checkoff sheetthat allows you to keep impor-tant names and contact infor-mation at hand, and makesure that everyone in youremergency action plan has acopy.

➤ Benjamin Bullard can bereached by e-mail [email protected] by telephone at 734-2131ext. 270.

Have plan ready for when disaster strikes

FILEVolunteers remove debris in the Historic District following the April 27, 2011 tornado.


070200111081

A SPECIAL THANKS to all of those inside and outside of Cullman who have pulled together to clean up and begin rebuilding our community!

WE’RE BACKWE’RE BACK

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By Trent MooreSTAFF WRITER

Nearly 100 businesseswere damaged in theCity of Cullman on

April 27, 2011 — with severalcompletely destroyed —though the adversity hasn’tdampened the spirits of thosebusiness owners who calldowntown home.

Bill St. John, owner of thedowntown engineering firmSt. John & Associates, had hisold location all but destroyedby the April tornadoes thatripped through the area,buried under two large treesuprooted by the tornadoes.

“Our original office was anold house,” he said. “Oncethat happened we had tomove out immediately, andwe’ve been in a temporarylocation ever since.”

St. John’s new location willsit at his old site on FirstAvenue SE, but the locationwill be about the only similar-ity. The new building will fea-ture a brick facade, with darkgreen, steel accents.

“We’re pretty steady at itand we’ve been plugging awayfor a while,” he said. “I thinkwe’ll be in around Septemberor October.”

Rebuilding hasn’t beeneasy, but St. John said hebelieves downtown will be thebetter for it once work is com-plete.

“I’m really excited about it,and I think all the rebuildingthat’s been done has been areal improvement to down-town, and I hope we will, too,”he said. “It’s a shame it hap-pened, but I think we’ll endup with things better than wehad before.”

Dentist Dr. JonathanEchols, whose Sixth Avenueoffice was destroyed duringthe tornado, has been operat-ing out of a temporary officeat Cullman Regional MedicalCenter ever since the storm.But, work is already underwayon a new downtown building,and he said he can’t wait to

get back home.“April 27 was a big blow to

us, and my building was com-pletely destroyed, along withmost of my equipment,” hesaid. “It was great to be ableto come here and get backstarted, but we’re looking for-ward to being back at ourhome spot over there, andhopefully when we get back itwill jump start some otherprojects around us. It’s been along hard road, but we’re see-ing the light at the end of thetunnel.”

As for the future? Echolssaid he believes tornadorecovery can be a catalyst fordowntown, it will just taketime.

“Downtown has really had

a nice facelift, and I’ve beenvery, pleasantly surprised atthe progress and advance-ment in the look with a nicesmall-town feel,” Echols said.“Cullman has always had that,but it kind of unifies it, so tospeak, rather than having ahodge-podge of differentstyles. I know a lot of otherbusiness owners are veryenergetic, and I see moreprogress in the future.”

With an underground utili-ties plan being implemented,and a streetscaping project inthe works, city leaders want toprove downtown is still viable.Their example is the iconicintersection of Fifth Street SEand First Avenue SE, home toCullman’s oldest restaurant

the Busy Bee.Owner Kitty Spears, who is

hosing a grand opening today,said she’s excited to finallyreopen after a year of beingshut down.

“I’m excited, but also nerv-ous, because we’ve been outof the loop for so long,” shesaid. “I mean, now I reallyhave a reason to get up,again.”

For city officials, rebuildingrepresents an opportunity tofix problems that had existedfor decades, and foster a newspirit of growth in the down-town area.

“We have a blank canvasfor the first time since ourforefathers built these build-ings in the late 1800s, and

whatever we rebuild willprobably be there for the restof our lives,” city council pres-ident Garlan Gudger, Jr. saidin a previous interview. “It’dbe doing a disservice to thepeople, if everyone was satis-fied with the status quo, tojust build back haphazardly.What we want to do is rebuildcorrectly the first time, insuch a way that it really hon-ors not only the architecture,but this community’s way oflife even more so than beforeApril 27.”

➤ Trent Moore can bereached by e-mail [email protected], orby telephone at 734-2131, ext.220.

Businesses see rebuilding as a new chance at growth

AMANDA SHAVERS-DAVIS/THE CULLMAN TIMESLongtime downtown barber Bo Waldrep held a private opening April 17, 2012 for his new East Side Barber Shop. The original location wascompletely destroyed in the April 27 storms.


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Tornado recoveryProject Rebound is a not-for-profit

community organization staffed withcaring professionals ready to lend ahelping hand. In the aftermath of thetornadoes of April 27, 2011, ProjectRebound is available to assist sur-vivors with emotional issues, finan-cial concerns, and personal prob-lems. The organization also supportssurvivors by offering connections tofree resources available to the com-munity as part of the recoveryprocess. With the anniversary of theApril tornadoes fast approaching,Project Rebound serves survivors byoffering 24/7 emotional support. Thisprogram is available until June 25,2012.

Contact them in Cullman Countyat 256-727-5308 [email protected]; or statewideat 800-639-7326 or on Facebook.

Tornado cafeSt. John’s Evangelical Protestant

Church, 512 2nd Ave. SE, Cullman, AL

35055, will hold special services onthe anniversary of the tornadoes,April 27. A service of prayer will beginat 10:30 a.m. in the church sanctuary,with a complimentary lunch from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. in Christ Hall. Anyonemay attend this time of remembranceand celebration.

For more information, contact Rev.John Richter or Karen Hassell at 256-734-0344.

City Parks and Rec to host concert

In commemoration of the April 27,2011, tornadoes, Cullman City Parksand Recreation will host a concert,“Rock the South,” at 5 p.m. April 27,at Heritage Park (gates open at 3p.m.). Guest performers will be DierksBentley and former American Idolstar, Kellie Pickler. Other bands willalso play.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15at the gate.

For more information, [email protected].

BRIEFS


We Want ToWe Want ToSalute Our Salute Our Citizens &Citizens &Volunteers Volunteers For All Their For All Their Hard Work Hard Work And Support!And Support!

Kenneth Nail - MayorKenneth Nail - MayorCharles Wilson, Jimmy Sawyer, Joann Walls, Charles Wilson, Jimmy Sawyer, Joann Walls, Kim Brown, Sally Alexander, Tania C. WilcoxKim Brown, Sally Alexander, Tania C. Wilcox

650619


By Loretta GillespieCORRESPONDENT

Fifteen minutes….aboutthe time it takes to drivefrom Cullman to West

Point. Or run to the bank, readthe paper, blow dry your hairor eat a hamburger. Less timethan it takes to cook a TV din-ner.

You can also lose every-thing you have in those fewminutes. That’s what hap-pened to one Crane Hill fami-ly.

Billy and Wilma Richardlived in their dream house.

Built in 1898, the Victorianfarm house was perched on ahill near Trimble and CraneHill. For all of its existence —well over a century — it hadbeen a local landmark, andwas on the Alabama HistoricalRegister.

When the Richards boughtit in 1964, it had no bathroomand no running water. It wasin need of a little sprucing up,but it was a solid old house,built to last. Its most out-standing feature was a grace-fully outlined curved porchwhere the family often gath-ered to watch the grandchil-dren searching for eggs, play-ing games and all too quickly,growing up. They raised threestrong sons in that house,rocked eight grandchildren,ate countless meals and sleptsafely sheltered under its roof.

On the morning of April 27,2012, there had been a torna-do in nearby Hanceville. Itpromised to be one of thosedays when people cast a wearyeye to the sky, watching forsomething they hope never tosee.

At around 4:45, theRichard’s grandson, Tyler, wholives just down the road (with-in hollering distance), calledto tell them that a tornado hadbeen spotted in nearby CraneHill. They reluctantly left theirhome, locking the doorbehind them, thinking they’donly be gone for a few min-utes — and actually they were— about fifteen minutes from

the time they locked the dooruntil they were back.

“This house has been herefor over a 100 years, it’s riddenout a lot of tornadoes,” Billysaid as they got in the car.When they rounded the cor-ner of the basement of theirson Darrell’s house, they mettheir daughter-in-law, Melissa,in the doorway.

She was scanning the sky.“It looked about like it lookstoday,” said Melissa, pointingtoward the lowering north-western sky. “It was overcast,but not much, and there wasnot even any wind blowing.”

They were on the southeastside of the house. All of a sud-den they heard 17-year-oldTyler shout from the top of thestairs, “It’s here! It’s here!” hecried, rushing down the stepswith his dogs. They all hit thefloor. Billy, Wilma, Tyler,Melissa, and her 14-year-old,

Colton.The family began to pray. In

fact, they prayed so loud thatBilly finally shushed them,

saying he couldn’t hear whatwas going on outside.

As they quieted just a littlebit, they heard what soundedlike part of the roof being tornoff the house. Then quiet…They waited until they weresure the winds had died down,then went upstairs to assessthe damage to the roof. It was-n’t as bad as they had feared,although there was a treedown on the roof — it couldhave been worse.

When Billy rounded thecorner and looked up towardthe hill where his house hadbeen, he saw only part of thedownstairs walls, downedtrees, and debris where hisstately home had been onlyminutes before.

“Oh, my gosh, our house,Wilma!” exclaimed Billy. “It’sgone!”

“We were in shock,” saidWilma Richard with a shake ofher head.

They attempted to get backup the hill – they’d left theirDoberman Pincher, Daisy Lou,locked inside.

There were trees every-where. What would normallyhave taken less than 30 sec-onds to drive was nowimpassable. Billy dodged treesand debris, making his way uptoward what was left of hishome. When he got to theback door he was frustrated tofind that although the houselooked like a bomb hadexploded, the back door wassafely locked and he couldn’tget to his dog. The front doorwas blocked by a 100-year-oldoak tree.

Minutes later, a neighbor,Jordan Hancock, arrived tofind out if they were alright.When he heard about the dog,he crawled in through thefractured walls and over bro-ken glass and furniture to res-cue Daisy Lou, who wasmiraculously unharmed.

The family gingerly pickedtheir way through mountainsof debris to what would havebeen their kitchen. Colton was

Billy and Wilma Richard rebuilding their dream house

CONTRIBUTEDBilly and Wilma Richard point out the unique features of the home they lost to the April 27, 2012 tor-nado. Grandson Tyler Richard, right, has fond memories of the house which was built in 1898, and wason the Alabama Historic Register.

CONTRIBUTED"This old well with a hand pump is original to the house that wasblown away. It still works and will stand proudly near the steps lead-ing to the Richard's new sunroom. Wilma and Melissa Richard stillmiss the old home place but are looking forward to making the newhouse ‘home’ to the whole Richard family."

Please see RICHARD Page 24


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CONTRIBUTEDWhen Billy Richard got to the back door he was frustrated to find that although the house looked like abomb had exploded, the back door was safely locked and he couldn’t get to his dog. The front doorwas blocked by a 100-year-old oak tree.

CONTRIBUTEDNow, almost a year to the day later, they are again choosing modern appliances for their home – onlythis time it’s a brand new brick house with a basement for taking shelter from the storms of life. Theyhope to be in it by Mother’s Day. “We want to make this a home for our family to come back to,” saidWilma Richard.

CONTRIBUTEDPerched atop a hill, the house looked like a post card in last year's big snow. The Richard's raised threestrong sons in this house, rocked eight grandchildren, ate countless meals and slept safely shelteredunder its roof.

physically ill at the sight of thedestruction.

They began to gather upwhat they could salvage —what they would need for therest of the night. Neighborsand callers told them thatthere was another tornadowatch in effect. They lookedup over the skeletal studs ofthe second story to see a skyfilled with low-hangingclouds. There was no roof left.

“The house looked as if ithad been twisted on itsframe,” described Wilma.

Just a few months beforeshe had organized her photosin a large tote. It had beenupstairs, but they noticed itsitting in the back yard.Although she remembers hav-ing left the lid off of the tote,not one picture was dis-turbed.

Two weeks later they wouldfind an antique chair coveredin pink velvet over the hillbehind the house. They neverdid find the little chair withthe cane bottom that Wilma’sfather had made for her over70 years ago.

Out back where Billy’scookie jars were stored in abuilding, only about 40 of the400 in his collection were left.Their chicken house, whichwas used for storage, wasgone, as was the little garage.There was many a tear shedthat day. Not only was theirhome gone, but theymourned the loss of the placewhere their memories weremade.

“Christmas and Easter werebig around here,” smiled Billy.“We always had a tradition ofletting a different grandchildput Baby Jesus in themanger.”

When Easter rolled around,they threw dozens of eggs allover the hill and sat, laughingas they watched grandchil-dren scampering here andthere searching for the prizeegg.

There were other memories— a family of 20 people sittingtogether for Christmas

brunch, lighting theChristmas tree, grandchildrenlearning to walk and talk. Oflife lived under a roof in ahouse filled with love.

“One of the county agentswas here once and he pointedto a spot under a tree andsaid, ‘Indian’s played underthat tree,’” Billy recalled,pointing to a snapshot of thefallen oak.

Billy’s dad made the firstcabinets that were everinstalled in the house. Whenthey moved in they could seechickens under the floorthrough cracks in the wornlinoleum.

The Richards’ pharmacistgot a call from SouthPittsburgh, Tennessee.Someone had found a pre-scription with their name onit, as well as the name andphone number of the phar-macy. “They just wanted toknow if ya’ll were alright,”their druggist told them.

They had worked on it,making it a little larger, addingmodern conveniences, givingit the love and care that peo-ple who treasure old thingsare wont to do….

Now, almost a year to theday later, they are againchoosing modern appliancesfor their home — only thistime it’s a brand new brickhouse with a basement fortaking shelter from the stormsof life.

They hope to be in it byMother’s Day.

“We want to make this ahome for our family to comeback to,” said Wilma.

“I’d always told my kidsthat if it got rough out there inthe world, they had a homeon the hill to come back to,”said Billy.

Well, it did get rough outthere for the Richard family.So rough, that the homethey’d shared for so long wasnow only a memory. But theyknow that the important thingis that they are together. Theycan always make more mem-ories.

RICHARDFROM PAGE 21


Walker Brothers, LTD.would like to recognize all the communities of Cullman County who have worked tirelessly this year in their efforts to rebuild.

Highway 69, Baileyton • 256-796-2211Highway 69, Baileyton • 256-796-2211Highway 69, Baileyton • 256-796-2211

Terry and Gail MaynardWalker Brothers, LTD. would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to everyone who allowed us to assist them with their rebuilding after the tornadoes. It truly was our pleasure to be able to work with you in theconstruction of your new homes. We wish everyone who has completed their new homes the best, and to everyone who is still working we hope for your continued strength as the process continues.

Rodney and Leslie Suddeth

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Helping out isn’t our obligation. It is ourhonor and privilege. Thank you forallowing us to serve you over the past 50years and we look forward to the next 50.

We are proud to be a part of

such a great community. The

days after the storm proved

what Cullman is all about.

Character. Neighbor helping

neighbor, stranger helping

stranger and we tried to do

our part to help.

We loaned about a

dozen vehicles out to

our neighbors that

lost theirs. We, along

with GMC, donated a

brand new, full size

cargo van to the local

United Way packed full

of supplies like

diapers, flashlights,

and bottled water...

We also set up a big

trailer to collect items

our neighbors needed

and we gave away

cooler after cooler of

ice just to name a

few of things we did

to give back.

Proud to be a part of Cullman since 1949

85071

Honored to serve

Cullman for 50 years.

Proud to be a part of this

resilient community.

1704 2nd Avenue NW, Cullman, AL 35055Mon. - Fri. 9:00 - 6:00

Sat. 9:00 am - 4 pm 56016


63270 Locally owned & operated by the Shaddix Family. Proudly serving Cullman and it’s surrounding areas since 1964. 00

0550

18

2011Reader’sChoice Winner


By Loretta Gillespie

Perhaps at some pointduring the recent torna-do recovery effort you

noticed that one group of menand women who joined in thecleanup were of theMennonite faith. They camewithout being asked, becauseit is what they do in times likethat. They went about theirtask quietly and efficiently,often times stopping to haveprayer with a distraught fami-ly.

Dressed simply in tradi-tional Mennonite clothing, thewomen wearing a coveringover their heads and long cot-ton dresses covered by apronsor sweaters, they came toextend a hand in Christian fel-lowship, and offering to helpin clearing away debris.

Each year since it’s begin-ning in 1982, the Amish andMennonite outreach program,Christian Aid Ministries(CAM) supplies approximately15 million pounds of food,clothing, medicines, seeds,Bibles, Bible story books, andother Christian literature forneedy people.

Most of the aid goes toorphans and Christian fami-lies. Supporters' funds alsohelp put up Gospel billboards,cleanup and rebuild for natu-ral disaster victims, supportseveral church-plantingefforts, operate two CAMmedical clinics, and provideresources for needy families tomake their own living.

“Our main purposes forproviding aid are to help andencourage God's people andbring the Gospel to a lost anddying world,” said CAM FieldDirector Willie Miller.

In North Alabama, we haveseen the fruits of their labor inevery community which washit by the tornadoes of lastApril 27, and again morerecently when the destructionwas repeated in Limestoneand Madison counties March2, 2012.

Calvin Yoder of Falkville isthe area coordinator of thebranch of CAM associatedwith the Mennonite Church insouthern Morgan County nearthe Cullman and Lawrencecounty lines.

“People are in shock whensomething like this happens tothem,” explained Yoder. “Wecome to help wherever help isneeded. One man said, ‘Iknow you are not doing thisfor nothing,’ but we told himthat we never charge anyonefor helping.”

“We were able to give thegift of God’s love to families inneed,” he said humbly.

“CAM is largely a volunteerorganization aside from man-agement, supervisory person-nel, and bookkeeping opera-tions. Each year, volunteers atour warehouse, field bases,disaster response services, and

other locations donate over200,000 hours of work,” saidMiller.

“We help anyone withcleanup,” Miller continued.“It’s a privilege to help. Ourultimate purpose is to glorifyGod and help enlarge Hiskingdom,” he said.

This verse in the Bibleexplains it all, ". . . whatsoev-er ye do, do all to the glory ofGod." (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Miller likens the organiza-tion to a miniature volunteerfire department. “We haverapid responders who keepequipment on trailers ready togo. We bring tools for cleanup,water pumps, and other emer-gency necessities,” heexplained. “While we are therewe get acquainted with thecommunity, assess theirneeds, and if there are peoplewho qualify, we can send in

the rebuilding teams to helppeople in rebuilding theirhomes.”

Originally begun as smallfirefighting teams in their owncommunities, this ministryhas branched out all over theUnited States.

Since last year’s horrific tor-nado, the rebuilding teamshave been helping to rebuildhomes in Franklin County. Todate, they have helped tobuild 14 homes since thattime, by providing free laborand using their own equip-ment. They also help with fill-ing out forms and dispensinginformation about therebuilding process.

Homeowners must qualify,and furnish their own buildingmaterials.

“Christian Aid Ministries'primary purpose is to be atrustworthy and efficient

channel for Amish,Mennonite, and other conser-vative Anabaptist groups andindividuals to minister tophysical and spiritual needsaround the world. This is inresponse to the command ". . .do good unto all men, espe-cially unto them who are ofthe household of faith"(Galatians 6:10)” said Miller.

According to the CAM web-site, the Disaster ResponseServices (DRS) coordinatesvolunteers to rebuild in natu-ral disaster areas in the USAby providing a long-termrecovery and rebuilding pro-gram for disaster victims whoqualify. They offer free labor torebuild for those who areuninsured or under-insured.

Hundreds of volunteershave donated thousands of

Mennonite Christian Aid Ministries

CONTRIBUTEDCalvin Yoder Sr. and his son, Calvin Jr., cut laminate flooring for the house they are helping to build for a tornado victim in Hackleburg.

Please see MENNONITE Page 29


hours serving in communi-ties crippled by floods, hurri-canes, and tornadoes.

“These projects provideexcellent opportunities toshare the love of Christ withthose suffering devastationand loss. A total of 2,100 DRSvolunteers donated approxi-mately 52,330 hours in2010,” said Miller.

“We have a motto,” chuck-led Miller. “Feed ‘em, work‘em hard, and they will comeback,” he said, referring tothe volunteers who comefrom Amish and Mennonitecommunities, not only inNorth Alabama, but all overthe country. Normally theycome for a week at a time,then others rotate into theirpositions. Everything is sowell organized that one vol-unteer can lay down a ham-mer and the next can comeright along and pick it upwithout missing a beat.

For Yoder, this ministryhas struck close to home onseveral occasions.

From Madison toLimestone, Morgan,Cullman, Franklin andLawrence counties, on side-roads and highways alongpath of destruction, theirquiet presence was known.By the very act of their com-ing, unbidden, to be of helpto these storm victims, theyshowed their love of Christby loving their neighbors-even though they werestrangers.

They were not the onlygroup who helped, of course,but the fact that they havemade advance preparationsto be of help by formingChristian Aid MinistriesDisaster Response Serviceshas caught the attention ofthese communities.

They have been calledangels, blessings, a God-send, the “hands and feet ofJesus” by the many people

who have been on thereceiving end of their min-istry.

Although local communi-ties have wonderful firstresponders, EmergencyManagement Agencies andother local emergencyresponse programs, therewas such devastation in theaftermath of these recenttornadoes that every hand,every strong back, everychainsaw and piece of heavyequipment, every man,woman and child who wasold enough, were needed todo everything from coordi-nating the volunteers, feed-ing both victims and volun-teers, giving physical andspiritual aid to the survivors,bringing water, ice and med-ical supplies, to putting actu-al boots on the ground

where it was needed to sal-vage what little was left insome places.

They came, as did many,many others, with a servant’sheart and a willingness to dofor others without recom-pense.

When everything you haveis gone, looking up to see thecompassionate faces of suchvolunteers must be anincredibly welcome sight.

The fact that the areaMennonites extend thisblessing shows what goodneighbors they are. In theirown way, they, among othervolunteers, showed us thekindness and love of God —just when we needed it themost.

CAM is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organiza-tion.

MENNONITEFROM PAGE 29

CONTRIBUTED

CONTRIBUTEDByron Heatwole from the Mennonite community in Virginia, discusses the flooring in one of the houses he is volunteering to help build.Volunteers rotate in and out as their regular jobs allow, usually staying one or two weeks at a time.

Calvin Yoder meas-ures carefully as heprepares to cutmaterial for the lastof the14 housesthat Christian AidMinistries is buildingfor tornado victimsin Hackleburg,Alabama. ChristianAid Ministries, andoutreach ofMennonite andAmish faiths, willprovide free laborand use their ownequipment forunderinsured oruninsured tornadovictims that qualify.Homeowners whodo qualify mustprovide their ownbuilding materials..


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WE’VE ADDED A LARGER SELECTION OF TOWING AND TRAILER

ACCESSORIES ALONG WITH MARINE AND SMALL ENGINE PARTS

NAPA AUTO PARTS413 6TH AVE. SWCULLMAN, AL 35055

Phone: (256) 734-511Fax: (256) 734-0211

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Bud James witnessed a lotthroughout his roughly30 years of service with

the Fairview Volunteer FireDepartment.

However, he said nothingcan quite compare to what hesaw on April 27 a year ago.

After learning there was apossibility for severe weather,he and his wife Jean, decidedthey would stick around theirhouse located on County Road1528. For most of the day, thetwo sat out on their frontporch, as they do often, andwatched cars go by.

But, by late that afternoon,their weather radio begangoing off and the storm sirensaround them begansounding.

With the EF-4 tornadobearing down on the city, itwas only seconds later that theEMA radio transmitter lostpower. Had it not been forBud's fire department radio,he and Jean would have hadno idea it was heading theirway.

"It's a blessing we had hisradio," Jean said. "That's allwe had."

Four minutes after heedingthe warning and scrambling toget to their basement, thestorm came down on theJames' residence, tossing theirhome from its foundation.

"The noise was unreal,"Budsaid. "It sounded exactly theway people describe it, like afreight train, though Jean saidshe thought we were havingan earthquake.”

Not only was there nothingleft of their home, the walls inthe basement where they weretaking shelter had caved in,trapping them inside for ashort time.

"I had freezers full of foodin the basement, and luckily,the floor joist caught the topof the freezer so it wouldn'tfall on us," Jean said. "We wereonly trapped for about 10-15minutes, but it seemed much

longer."Meanwhile, across the way,

Steve Means and his wifewatched from their yard as thetornado hit the James' house.Jumping on his 4-wheeler, hequickly made it to whatremained of the home. Pullingcinder blocks from the base-ment wall, Means helped freeBud and Jean, along with theirgranddaughter, her husbandand son.

"He was our guardianangel," Jean said. "We didn'tknow him at the time. We werevery glad that he came tomake sure that all of us wereout of the house and safe."

Thankfully, she added,everyone made it out with noscratches or bruises.

“About the only thing wecame out with was dirt,” shesaid laughing. “You wouldn'tbelieve all of the dirt thatcame in."

In the week following, thetwo stayed with their daughterat her home in MorganCounty, until a temporary

trailer could be placed at thesite of their old home at thefirst of May. Bud and Jeanstayed there until moving intotheir new home in August.

“It was wonderful gettingback into our home,” Jeansaid.

She added, that she andBud use to spend a lot of timecamping, but after spendingseveral months living in atrailer, that might have to waita while before they do thatagain.

“Right after we moved backinto our house, Bud told me, ‘Inever want to camp again,’”she said. “But, you have tohave a positive outlook whenit comes to things like that.”

Instead of building theirhome back the way it was, theJames’ new home wasdesigned for older people,Jean said, with doors largeenough for a wheelchair andwalker to get through. Thereis one thing though, she hadto have back.

“I love my porch,” she said.

“I have to have it.”

➤ Ashley Graves can be

reached by phone at 734-2131,ext. 225 or by email [email protected]

Fire department radio a lifesaver for couple

CONTRIBUTEDThe James family were in this house when a tornado hit April 27, 2011.

FILESteve Means, right, with the James family at a reception in March.The Cullman Times honored Means as a Unsung Hero.


ASSOCIATED PRESS

BIRMINGHAM — Nearly ayear after devastating stormscost Alabama hundreds of livesand billions of dollars in dam-age, there is still a mountain ofknowledge to be gleaned.

Through the lens of science,McWane Science Center hopesto bridge that gap with “TheTornadoes of April 27th:Looking Back — MovingForward.” Still images and filmwill recount the aftermath ofthat Wednesday. Artifacts fromthe community, together withdocumentaries made byDaniel Payne Middle Schoolstudents, will reveal the heart-break and personal tragedies.

Birmingham News photo-graphs, Fox 6 footage and alarge timeline display willchart the course of the storms.Data from the NationalOceanic and AtmosphericAdministration will show satel-lite images, forecasts andvideo. Maps provided by theGeological Survey of Alabamawill disclose how crucial infor-mation was provided to firstresponders.

Most important, visitors cantake away valuable informa-tion about preparedness incase another disaster threat-ens, whether a tornado, hurri-cane, lightning, flood or winterweather.

“We’re trying to tell ourcommunity story and the storyof the science behind it,” saidcurator Erik Lizee. “We don’twant it to be sensational. Wewant to be factual. We wantkids to know what can happenso they can be prepared, butwe don’t want to scare peopleunnecessarily.”

One kiosk will focus on dis-aster preparedness.

“It explains what is fact andwhat is fiction,” Lizee said. “Forexample, if you hide in a cer-tain corner of your house, youwill be OK. That’s typically not

accurate.”Another kiosk is a quiz

about what things to store incase of an emergency.

“You make a choicebetween plastic fruit or plasticsheathing,” he said. “Or anMP3 player versus a radio, ormilk versus water.”

Another area will detail theanatomy of a tornado.

“The graphic will show howthe tornado starts as a supercell and warm air comes in,”explained Chandler Bibb.

Students from one of themost stricken areas of the Aprilstorms will be telling their ownstory. Michele Forman, UAB’sdirector of visual literacy andco-director of the MediaStudies Program, brought UABstudents to Daniel PayneMiddle School in Pratt City tohelp them learn video tech-niques and conduct inter-views. Driving to Pratt City inOctober and November,Forman was deeply affected bythe experience.

“I saw blue tarps and treetrunks all leaning in one direc-tion,” she said. “It was so stark— a reminder of the force ofthe storm. But the classroomwas organized, like life has car-ried on, until you talk to thekids. You hear what they arecarrying inside them, what itmeans to them every time theysee clouds overhead.”

Hearing stories comingfrom kids their own age is avaluable part of the exhibit,said Forman.

“McWane is a place for kidsto gain knowledge from adultsand experts, but it will be anice change for children whovisit the exhibit to learn les-sons from other kids their ownage,” she said.

Included are a story fromone student about hidingunder a car when the tornadowent by. Another, who was notpersonally affected, brought inan artifact - a single glove used

to help neighbors clean debris.“One of the students said

that when storms or sirenscome during the night, CI getinto bed with my mom again,”’Forman said.

The exhibition, which willbe displayed through October

or November, also outlinesreconstruction efforts. NOAAphotographs reveal progress inTuscaloosa and Pratt City.Architectural drawings fromthe American Institute ofArchitects show plans torebuild Pratt City.

“This is how we rebuild acommunity - with architectsand city planners,” said Lizee.“They’re talking to residents ofPratt City, asking what theywould like to see to make itbetter, and how to design thosethings the community wants.”

STATE

Exhibit examines historic tornado outbreak

ASSOCIATED PRESSIn this May 6, 2011, file photo, a cross stands outside the Long Memorial Methodist church inCordova, Ala. Communities across Alabama are planning events to mark the first anniversary of thetornadoes that killed more than 250 people in the state.


Simply put, we are proud. We are proud of our county and the rebuilding efforts of all involved. We are proud of our companies’ relentless will to handle the April claims with honesty and integrity. We are proud of our customers support and understanding during the claim process. We are proud of our neighbors rebuilding and welcome home. Yes, we are proud to be Knight-Free Insurance, we are still here and we are ready to serve you!

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04

By Renee Carter

The first anniversaryof the April 27 tor-nadoes that ripped

through northern andcentral Alabama lastyear will be difficult foreveryone affected, espe-cially those who lostloved ones in thestorms. The devastationwas collective, public,and traumatic. The 62tornadoes that struckground in Alabamaaffected half the state,killing 247 people. It wasa horrifying and tragic,yet historic, day that leftmuch of Alabama inshambles.

This anniversary willbe a complex mix ofemotion — recallingloss, honoring life,acknowledging the tran-sitions and changes forindividuals, families,and communities — inattempts to balance theremembering and for-getting. Though it istime for rememberingand mourning, it is alsotime to focus on recov-ery… that which hasalready taken place andthat which is ongoing.

The storms had bare-ly abated when dona-tions and volunteersbegan flooding impact-ed areas, emergencymanagement agencieslaunched rescue andrecovery, and insurersmobilized highly experi-enced catastropheteams. While churchesand other organizationsassembled care pack-ages and governmentagencies cleared enor-mous amounts of debris,insurance companiesbegan the process ofproviding their cus-tomers with the supportthey needed to restoretheir lives to normalcy

as quickly as possible.To date, insurers have

paid nearly $3 billiondollars for damagesoccurring on April 27. Ofnearly 127,000 claimsfiled as a result of theApril 27 storms, morethan 98 percent havebeen closed. For someinsurance companies,the number of claimsreceived for damagescaused by the events ofthat one day was thenumber of claims typi-cally received in a wholeyear. However, there wasnothing typical aboutthe April 27 storms,which the AlabamaDepartment ofInsurance has designat-ed as a one in 250-yearevent.

The events of April 27prove any of us could beaffected by these typesof storms in the future.Seek help from yourinsurer now to be pre-pared before a catastro-phe strikes.

If a tornado were todestroy or damage yourhome, would you havethe right insurance cov-erage to rebuild yourhouse? Be aware thatyour home may cost sig-nificantly more torebuild than to purchasein the currently deflatedhousing market. If youpurchase policy cover-age of $150,000 becausethat is the appraisedmarket value of yourhome, but the cost ofrebuilding your home is$180,000, you may belat-edly discover you areshort $30,000. Ask yourinsurance companyabout an extended orguaranteed replacementcost policy which pro-vides a certain amountover the policy limit torebuild your home — ifbuilding costs go up

unexpectedly, becauseof high demand for con-tractors and materials,you will have extra fundsto cover the bill.

If a tornado were todestroy or damage yourhome, would you havethe right insurance cov-erage to replace yourpossessions? If you werehanded pen and paperand told to list every-thing in your homecompletely from memo-ry, could you? Is yourjewelry or other valu-ables covered in a stan-dard homeowner’s poli-cy? According to theNational Association ofInsuranceCommissioners (NAIC),more than half ofAmericans don't have ahome inventory of theirpossessions, leading toinadequate home insur-ance coverage. Many ofthose affected by lastApril’s storms will tellyou they wish they hadcreated an inventory oftheir possessions.

We all hope neveragain to experience orwitness the devastationof April 27, 2011.

On this importantanniversary, let’s takethe proper actions toensure we sufficientlyprotect our families,ourselves, and our prop-erty in the future.

➤ Renee Carter is thestate director for theAlabama InsuranceInformation Service(AIIS), a non-lobbying,not-for-profit industryassociation that providesinformation about home-owners, renters, automo-bile, business and workerscompensation insuranceto the public. She can bereached at [email protected].

COMMENTARY

Preparing for future disasters


070200038909

rebuild: one year later

Documents

downtown cullman

methodist page

streetsof cullman

new windows

theoriginal windows

methodistfrom page

church home

thereplacement windows