Tornado Stricken :: Tuscaloosa

Exactly four weeks after the fact, I visited Tuscaloosa for the first time since it was devastated by at least one tornado. Rebuilding has not yet begun. Reparations have commenced on those dwellings and buildings which can be restored. Some empty lots can now be found, which in recent days contained the remnants of buildings. But mostly, things lie as they had fallen... 

The former residence of some friends in the Forest Lake neighborhood

...some with messages to loved ones, like the house which bore the message: "We love you Mamaw and Papaw." Still others warn off potential looters with clever messages reading: "If you loot, we will shoot!" But many contain notes regarding family pets, and on that front, at least, there seems to be good news.

Signs declaring hope and the soon returns of neighbors and businesses proclaim the resounding pride or fortitude of Tuscaloosa's residents, even in the face of constant devastation, from which there can be expected no soon relief.

The Remains of the Forest Lake District