Alabama Newscenter
“Everywhere you looked, there was devastation.”
So recalled Dr. T.L. Lewis, the longtime pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham’s Pratt City community.
“From one end of Pratt City to the other, lives were lost, homes and businesses were destroyed. Our church was leveled to the foundation.”
But in the immediate aftermath of the deadly tornado that struck early on the evening of April 27, 2011, the destruction of his church was secondary to meeting human needs, Lewis said.
“Some people lost everything they had, including their clothes. Starting that night, we knew we had to get busy getting people what they needed just to survive.”
Neighboring cities helping Fultondale tornado relief efforts
Will Fultondale get FEMA help after tornado? By Alan Collins | March 10, 2021 at 3:35 PM CST - Updated March 10 at 5:21 PM
FULTONDALE, Ala. (WBRC) - Itâs now up to authorities in Washington, D.C. if Fultondale homeowners and businesses will be getting federal help to repair damage from the Jan. tornado. It still looks like the the city may miss out on a disaster declaration.
Jim Coker with Jefferson County EMA said since this just involved damage in one county, the state threshold has to be met for damage, and that is $7.5 million. Fultondale looks like it will come up short.
From The Tribune staff reports
CENTER POINT The National Weather Service in Birmingham upgraded the tornado that hit the Fultondale area to an EF-3. Damage was reported primarily north of Walker Chapel Road NW to U.S. Highway 31 and to New Castle Road. Crews said winds were at least 150 mph on the evening of Monday, Jan. 25, 2021.
“Keep in mind that intensity & width varied along its path,” the NWS posted on Facebook. “The EF-3 damage was focused near Lykes Blvd. to New Castle Rd.”
The tornado had a path length of 9.5 miles and a max width of 500 yards, according to the NWS.
By Erica Thomas, managing editor
PINSON A tornado on the night of Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, left many people without a home in Jefferson County. One of the hardest hit areas was off of Pinson Valley Parkway, at Rusk Mobile Home Park. Although there were no injuries, many homes in the park were destroyed.
Homes were ripped in half, roofs were blown away and debris covered the roads inside the park.
Jefferson County Commissioner Joe Knight visited the park Tuesday. Knight said what he witnessed inside the community should inspire others.
“I see a community coming together at a time of crisis,” said Knight. “This could be an example for all America.”
Here s what we know:
Preliminary survey indicates EF-2 Tornado slammed Fultondale
According to a preliminary investigation, the National Weather Service in Birmingham has designated the tornado that devastated the Birmingham suburb as a High-End EF-2 Tornado.
The storm whipped up winds around 135 mph, according to the NWS. Like a bomb had been dropped
Melvin Weldon was just about asleep with his wife when the tornado sirens triggered near his Lykes Boulevard home northeast of Fultondale. We went to turn the TV on to find out where the tornado warnings were or what was going on. then we heard that noise, Weldon said. We went downstairs, got our son down the stairs and about time we got to the bottom of the stairs is when it hit.