Tornado or Hail, which would it be?

Cullman, AL


We knew when we settled here that tornadoes come through this area.  We well remember the April 2011 tornado that hit the town doing major damage.   When we came to visit son Lennie and family we drove through the town and saw the mass destruction.   Google Cullman AL tornado 2011!

Then a few days before we moved into the house in December 2016 one came through about 15 miles from our house over in Arley where we often camp.   We stayed at that campground not long after the roads there were hit.   We saw wide swats of woods wiped bare.  We saw the damaged homes and businesses.   Some houses so damaged they were beyond repair.

Then last Spring we were under Tornado WARNING two times.   We receive alerts on our phones to take shelter immediately.

When we bought the house we did not consider that we had to have one with a basement.  We are really glad we do. 

Yesterday once more it was time to be thankful for that basement.   As the day went on and we watched the weather station, it was clear Cullman was in the path of something.  Most of the day we were under a tornado WATCH.    That we did.   We watched. The skies became dark and foreboding.

Lets get prepared.   We took blankets, water, charger, change of clothes, flashlight, candles and matches to the basement.   They will remain there.   We have a sofa, chair, table, lamp,etc in the basement.

We continued to watch the weather channel.  Then we received phone alerts.  Tornado WARNING. It was time to move ourselves to the basement.  I took my camera and computer.  (yea, my whole life is on the computer!)

For about ten minutes we wondered if we had anything left upstairs.  The winds seemed fierce.  It sounded like things were moving around.  But we heard no glass break.  Once the racket stopped we came back up.   Everything was fine but some furniture on the front porch was re-arranged.  Not even a tree down.  A tomato plant we have in a pot on the back porch was just fine.

The TV situation was in and out as we have DirectTV and kept losing a signal.  Then the hail started.  It would hail, stop, hail, stop etc.    I went to the back porch.  There was hail the size of a ping pong ball.  As it was dark out, nothing else could be seen. A friend up the road told us via Facebook that parts of Cullman were hit with baseball size hail.

This morning we drove through town (about 8 miles away).  My sister called from NJ after she saw a report of the damage on TV.

This is just some of what we saw.

This first picture is taken at the lot of the pest control company that we use.  Just now I looked outside to see we were being serviced.   I talked to our tech.  He said the truck he is driving was brought down from Decatur.  Every one of the trucks at the Cullman lot were destroyed.  He said one truck was so damaged it looked as if a large log fell on it.  Several of the trucks were parked out in the front were for sale.   He also said their office is destroyed.  When we went by we saw people working on the roof.

Every car at this dealership was destroyed.  You can see the damaged windshields. Less than a quarter of a mile away is another dealership. No damage at all!

Wal-Mart is closed due to hail damage and water as are some other businesses.  Some homes also damaged by the hail.

Once more we dodged a bullet.   All is good.   For us.

Until next time......