Wreckage to Recovery

After Apr 27th the whole world seemed to change. For many it would never be the same. The tornado that smashed through Alabama came right over my house and left it in pretty bad shape. Many others were much worse. Some lived, some died, none would ever look at a tornado in the same light again.
It did what over 100 years of history could not. It took down the oldest and longest rail road bridge in the Southeast. Built in 1909 it was an historic icon in our community.
The Alabama Southern Railroad, a subsidiary of Watco Companies, Inc., should be mentioned as the RR company responsible for the bridge and who hired Scott Bridge Company of Opelika, AL.. Watco has authorized us to take all reasonable measures to protect Hurricane Creek......they share the same environmental values that we do.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• tornado
• hholt
• tuscaloosa
• hurricane
• creek
• creekkeeper
• waterkeeper
• riverkeeper
• destruction
• destroyed
• damage
• storms
• weather
• events
• Alabama
• lightning
• thunder
• rain
• disaster

[BamaMarine7276]

I had not seen this area since the tornadoes. This is my old childhood swimming hole and it breaks my heart to see it like this. I remember being able to see outcropping of rocks in the bluffs above the creek, but had no idea it was a sheer rock wall until the tornado tore away all the trees.

[hccreekkeeper]

@BamaMarine7276 Bama,

Come see us and help put it back together. We have a great plan that will take many volunteers.

[oberbeagle30]

John, Incredible video. For those of us who who are blessed to experience the daily ebb and flow of the creek, our hearts are crying. We were blessed with our lives and home, but our forest is hurting. Tina experienced the same water evaporation event from our deck. We also have never seen anything like this. One thing that I have noticed is that our large animals, (deer, turkey, coyote) have not came home. I have seen a few prints, but no animals. I pray they will return soon.

Rick

[hccreekkeeper]

@oberbeagle30 Rick,

The habitat has changed so will the animals. I am seeing new species of birds and some of the old ones are leaving. It's all part of nature. It will heal.

[hccreekkeeper]

New birds showed up after the storm. We now have Mississippi Kites hanging around the fresh blown down timber. It is cool to watch the transition from woodland habitat to open land. plenty of seed stock for the forest to restore itself. All we have to do is remove the heaviest debris.

[auburn2008db]

Very nice video. Nicely done.

[Jakey611]

Awesome video my friend! MUCH MUCH MUCH more interesting than the network coverage of the storm damage. I'm sorry for the damage your area suffered, but thankful that it was not as deadly to human life as it COULD have been.

[BamaMarine7276]

John, thank you so much for for tireless work over the last 20 years or more in helping preserve this place of natural beauty. And thank you for this video, that even though it breaks my heart to see the aftermath of the tornadoes it also shows the beauty that so many of us remember from childhood. God bless you.

[BamaMarine7276]

Great memories of this area. My prayers that some future generation will once again have an opportunity to build memories of Hurricane Creek, because I know it will never be the same in whatever is left of my lifetime

[BamaMarine7276]

I remember me and my dad walking across that railroad trestle when we'd be out squirrel hunting, and how scared I was the first, second, and most times we walked across it, because the space between the railroad ties looked wider than what my then young and short legs could step. And it was a LONG ways down to the creek.

[lindabs1816]

I am from the south. I moved to the Pacific NW. I live in the Olympic Mountain Range-I have never seen a Tornado it an area like yours-It seems to be foothills of mountains-I am glad your creek will be restored-Great Video-Kinda made me Homesick for the south