March 1st is the two year anniversary of the killer tornado that struck our small town of Enterprise, AL. A day does not pass by that I don't think about what happened on that everntful afternoon. As most of us have put our lives back together there are parents and family members that March 1st will mark the anniversary of the worst day of their lives. Eight students and a woman in her house were killed on this day two years ago.
I guess it weighs so heavy on me since my daughter was one of the students in the school. I remember it was 1 pm and I was calling the school from the road out front asking them to let Brooke drive home...thank God they didn't let her out. It was pouring as hard as I had ever seen rain come down, and then it just stopped the sun came out and the humidity was crazy. So, I ran in to get her out of school. I remember behind me was an ominous cloud...but I thought nothing of it.
Ten minutes later I am on the phone with Laurie telling her to take cover as the tornado was heading our way. I remember calling Brooke to see where she was...the tornado had already entered that side of the school and she yelled dad get down... its here. So I dove on the floor face first and called Laurie...the final thing Laurie heard me say was I love you...I don't know whats going to happen... I love you baby...she could hear people screaming and the wind was blowing across my phone. Me and the girl beside took turns looking out the skylight as the tornado went over until we felt the suction pulling on us...that was freaky. I remember trying to dig my fingers into marble floors and yelling "in the name of Jesus...no". Then the ceiling tiles all sucked up, my ears popped and within seconds it was over.
I ran to get Brooke not completely aware of what had just happened. Brooke was in the band room and Mr. Ford had put her and other girls in a cubby hole while he shielded them from the debris. Along the way a person yelled..."pastor Mike please go check on my mother in a white thunderbird." When I went outside there was no white thunderbird. The wild thing was that the lady that I saw is a lady that I know from all the yard saling I do. I asked her months later if she found her mother. She stared at me and said "Mike I was not in the school". And I never found a lady in a white thunderbird. But right around the corner was the location where everyone was killed after ther the tornado. I oftern wonder why God spared me from turning that corner. Because if I would have seen AJ and Ryan I know I would have jumped in to help hold that wall.
Once outside it looked like a war zone. Being one of the very few adults in the area I quickly became a self appointed leader. I ended up in triage. What freaked me out was while organizing to get all the students over to Hillcrest Baptist another siren sounded and we were all outside. I remember kids coming out with broken legs, head wounds that I could see their skulls, injuries requiring stitches and more. Everyone had glass, dirt, celing tile and blood on them.
I will never forget the moment I heard..."Daddy, Daddy". I am crying right now thinking about it. We had no way to communicate with anyone. So, Brooke and I worked in triage until every student was accounted for. I remember so many parents coming to look for their kids...I had mine but there was rumors of trapped kids in third hall. I remember the Vadenzek family looking for their daughter, and all I could tell them that there were kids trapped in the school ...not knowing that their daughter was gone.
I remember Ronnie Gilley coordinating all the guys with 4 wheel drives because we had to get people to the hospital. I remember using tables for gurnies. Carrying kids and adults with serious injuries to trucks that could go over the downed trees and poles. I will never forget Justin Swasey, our youth pastor, walking up to me like he was in shock. He was covered with debris...he lookes really scared. He had been in the exact area where much of the damage and injury took place. Four hours later we arrived home...it was the first that my wife had heard from us. She told me calls from all over the country had come and she could not even confirm that Brooke and I were alive as some deaths had already been reported.
After the TV and Dothan Eagle interview Brooke and I did. We ended up on every major and minor news outlet. Trust me they tracked us down once our name was in the media. I remember the Today Show and Good Morning America crews fighting over who was getting the first interview with us.
For the next month we did all we could to help Enterprise recover. Its hard to believe it has been two years because I remember it like it was yesterday. I will Never Forget!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVYpZZKv55I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=greWwxoO-i4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLw20_JefVg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLw20_JefVg
Take time to rest
3 months ago
1 comment:
It was the craziest experience of my life. I still remember talking to one of the Michaels that died. I'm still not sure whether it was Tompkins or Bowen. He was trapped under a cement wall or ceiling. One of the football coaches and I tried to lift the debris. It would budge. They brought a jack from the auto mechanics shop. But we still couldn't get to him.
One of the first students that we helped from the wreckage was Virginia, who had been to our church some.
I am still amazed at God's grace. Such devastation and yet, so many survivors. We had been in the halls for since at least 10:30. Several teachers on third hall had their planning during that time. If we had switched classes, there probably would have been more students in the part of the school where most of the students died. Also, if the students were released from school, more students would have likely died in the parking lot or on the roads. God is faithful.
-Justin
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