I visited BamaDan’s house today, where I tried hard to be supportive but was mostly useless. (Tough to be anything else at a time like this, on both counts.) This is the view from his sunroom, looking more or less west.
We believe the indiscriminate blob in the only remaining tall tree is the carcass of his pedal boat.
The photo, as dramatic as it is, doesn’t begin to capture the devastation. You have to see it to believe it, and then part of you still doesn’t believe it. The only time I ever had a similar feeling was walking through my mother and sister’s house after it burned, almost 18 years ago. The jarring detail here is that his house went from perfect to destroyed in all of five seconds.
Make that, his whole neighborhood went from perfect to destroyed in all of five seconds.
(Updated: here is a wide look at part of his subdivision.)
It’s heinously insensitive to walk around taking photographs when literally everyone you see is trying to come out of shock long enough to recover whatever bits of their lives they can, so I didn’t. But I counted exactly two houses out of perhaps 80 that would qualify as even partially intact. The rest have been violently spun to pieces.
Most depressingly, it’s so heartbreakingly widespread. I am merely inconvenienced in the aftermath of this disaster. Thousands are genuinely hurting, and will for some time. Please, please remember to keep Alabama in your prayers. Thank you.
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I am so heartbroken for all of the people that have suffered through this HUGE disaster. Speaking as someone that has lost my house 2 times to fire, it is truly shocking and devastating to say the least. However, when it happened to me, at least everything else was ok. (I could go to Wal Mart, go out to eat, got to work etc) I cannot even begin to imagine what these poor people are feeling. My heart breaks for them and I feel so helpless here in VA. I just wish I could walk around and hug people there. I love Alabama and its wonderful people. Miss you
I have no words. That’s the sort of thing that makes me feel absolutely useless. Let me know if I can do anything from here that can help set things to rights.
Jenny, miss you too. Thank you for the love, and backatcha!
Kemtee, thank you. Please keep Alabama in your prayers. We’re not down for the count, but we’ve damned sure got a hell of a bloody nose.
My God. I did not know it was your friend bamadan. I’m not of much use right now in Arkansas, but tell him if there is anything we can do to help we will.
Thank you very much, ‘seester. When I spoke to him yesterday, he had been in touch with all of the necessary logistical people and sounded better. I think they’ve got secure onsite storage now too. Lea packed up the only child’s room that was mostly intact yesterday, and she’s working on getting some of their nicer stuff laundered today before it mildews.
Terrible, terrible thing. Please keep him and the thousands of others displaced, as well as the thousands grieving for lost loved ones, in your prayers.