Tornado Entry: 17

Tuscaloosa can now be regarded as a “Tale of Two Cities”. Not so much in the Charles Dickens sense of London, and Paris in one of my favourite escapist books to read. Instead there is the “normal” Tuscaloosa where life goes on as if nothing has happened, and the cleaning and rebuilding Tuscaloosa recovering from the Tornado.

The clean-up to prepare for the rebuilding Tuscaloosa is so draining. I can feel burn-out setting in. I tell the story how the “Blizzard of 1977” was supposed to be the storm on my lifetime. I don’t mean to belittle that disaster, but it was nothing in scope to what I’m now living.

Cleaning up the wood:

Monday I was assigned a crew of some 10 Louisiana State students. Clay also showed up. I grabbed him to be on my team. He is my main man!!

Our first job was out in Alberta City on the outer fringe of the serious damage. A roof had to be stabilized. Clay took the brave ones who would venture up the ladder. The neighbors across the street were preparing for back hoes. I told the homeowner if she needed any help I had all these kids who would love to pitch in. They were put to work pulling up the patio blocks and landscaping. These were stacked out of the way to be reused.

Clay and his crew on the roof:

Cleaning up across the street:

Our next stop was not far away. This was more chainsaw work needed with removal done with a bob cat. The small stuff had already been cut away. The lady living in this house was so nice. She told us about her families she worked for, how she was an influence in the children she raised. It was like I was living in the book, “The Help”. The people I’m meeting is unreal.

As we were preparing to leave an example of how frustrations build upon this disaster played out. The phone line was ripped from the house and secured to the porch railing. A garbage truck filled with logs passed catching the line. The line held, but it ripped the railing from the porch. It is the small pain in the neck jobs like this that can wear you out.

The house next door was on a worksheet. There was no signature so we needed approval to do work. The roof was badly damaged having huge areas open and exposed. The homeowners were home. They were very wary, finally refusing our help. They said they had to have insurance adjusters at the property first. We hear this a lot. I explain all we are doing is protecting the house from further water damage. I’ve reached the point where I don’t care. If they don’t want help, they don’t want help. Too many people are out there who desperately need assistance.

We were told that hot food was at the Holt Assistance Center. Two and half weeks into the clean up, the hot food centers are closing down. We got the center at 12:30. The hot food was hot dogs and the remains of granola bars and some kind of marshmallow Easter candy. Tuesday we will pack sandwiches from the church.

We finished up the jobs we had, and returned to the church to see if there was more we could do.

Todd gave me another folder for Team 11. This looked to be mainly clean up work. The weather had turned cold and the kids were not dressed for chill. I told them to get their stuff together and I had extra sweats they could borrow. They were all driving together in a church van. Clay knew where I lived so I told them to meet at my house.

I picked up a lot of extra gloves and headed to my house. After getting the clothes together I thought I’d make up a Google map to the job site. The notebooks were not in the cab. Oh Shit! The team 10 book was in the truck bed. No Team 11 was present. I nervously backtracked my route and miracle of miracles that notebook was in the middle of 21^st Ave. It had been run over, but everything was there.

We got to the job. This was on the west side not far from my plant which was destroyed. A trailer was blown into a house. What a nightmare: We cleaned up as best we could. Insulation was blowing around everywhere. I passed out face masks. One of the kids was wearing flip-flops. What are they thinking???

A young girl was concerned as she was getting bumps on her arm. I took her to Rite-Aid where the pharmacist recommended Benadryl. We got that and headed back to the site. It was time to quit for the day. On the way back to the church I detoured to Office Max for a folder and Pets Plus for cat food.

The kids were waiting for me in the lot. Clay got his tools and helped me unload the SP supplies. My clothes were returned.

I was able to get an exact duplicate folder. The insert was easy to change. The end piece on the spine was a bear to peel off. Fortunately enough glue remained to hold it fast to the replacement. The claw end of the hammer was needed to bend open the crushed rings.

This kind of stress I do not need!!!

I got home at about 5:45 after turning in the distressed paperwork. Fixed up chicken wings for supper and was in bed at 8:00.

It is 6:45 a.m. now. I just took this photo of my new Raintree. It seems to be doing well. I’m going to use the planting of it as a bookmark for returning to my old life. I want to put this present life behind me as soon as possible.