04/27/2011 one year later: The saddest day / proudest year

The day of 4/27/2011

Looking back on the last year, and the memories can still be haunting. The earliest memory I have about the outbreak was in a e-mail, that Monday before the 27th one of my bosses sent out a email saying Jerry Tracey (our chief meteorologist) thinks this could be the worst tornado outbreak in years and to be prepared to work long extra shifts. I knew then it was going to be bad.

The morning of April 27th started out with the sounds of tornado sirens, I wasn't even home I spent the night at a sleep clinic, but my wife and kids were alone. Against better judgement I left out in the storm and rushed home the moment I pulled into my neighborhood I knew something was wrong. The power was out and small branches and leafs filled the streets, the closer I got to my house the worst it got. I pulled in my driveway, three trees where toppled over all had missed my house, the chimney was half way pulled down and my roof had started leaking, my wife and son was shaken but otherwise unharmed a true blessing. The sun came up and I prayed that the afternoon storms wouldn't be as bad as the morning round, but that wouldn't be the case.

No power, a baby and more storms coming in sent us looking for another place to stay. My wife has an aunt who still had power, and a basement. I was off work on that day so I was able to flip though all the local coverage as the super cells started rolling in. I will never forget seeing the tornadoes tear though Cullman and Tuscaloosa, to see something like that on a tower camera in Alabama is very rare. A EF4 tornado came about five miles from where we was at the time, but we was okay. The power had now shut off, and I remember going out on the front porch and just laying down as the front moved in. Sitting there in the dark as the cool wind blew over me, I almost felt alone in the world something I have never felt. I didn't know how many had lost there lives, but there was just a feeling in the wind I knew 100's where dead.

Working in the news I went out and covered damage all across the state. I can remember at one point I came across a home where I was told the couple there had died. I think then and there it really hit me to what had really happened, It was the point where it all sunk in I couldn't help it, but to break down right there and cry.

But over the past year I've seen so many people so willing to help and give. I've seen rubble turned into new homes and buildings. Lives have been honored and towns that I though couldn't come back from this HAVE. I can truly say this year has been the proudest I've ever been of this state. I'm truly blessed to have live though, covered, and witnessed an un-dieing spirit.

-Patrick Pierce

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