I thought I'd give a status update, for any of you who might be wondering where I've been lately. I go to the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and recently a large storm hit Alabama. I haven't been able to watch the news much so I don't know how much of this is common knowledge. An EF-5 tornado hit Tuscaloosa, destroying many homes and businesses. Somewhere around 16 were killed, and lots more made homeless. There was lots of damage elsewhere in Alabama too. The storm killed the power in the upper part of Alabama. Obama visited Tuscaloosa the other day to meet survivors. Anyway, I've just been dealing with the lack of power, trying to find food. They cancelled exams, so I decided to go home. The power came back in Tuscaloosa before I left, but by then I was already packed up. So now I'm in Huntsville with my parents, and I'm without power again. At least we have plenty of food and ways to cook it. My parents have been without power for 4 days now. Power is starting to come back elsewhere, but not here, yet. The paper said we might have power restored by Monday. I played my Nomad today, and watched part of a movie. Anyway, I've had to conserve power on my phone, so that's why I haven't been posting lately. I doubt anyone noticed anyway. Just thought I'd share some of my experience.
Good to know you're alright. Something I don't understand is why they still build wooden houses in those areas. A lot of damage could have been avoided by building stone houses. Instead, every year when the tornado season starts people sit crying in front of their destroyed wooden homes. Seriously, what were they thinking? Wouldn't it be a GOOD IDEA to build a house that actually has a chance to partially survive a tornado? It's beneficial from many points of view. Stone houses are energy efficient if it's done right - for instance, here in Europe only very few private homes have an air conditioner. Wooden homes need to be air conditioned to death so you don't melt. I don't get it. If it's about the looks then there's nothing to say against a wooden cover on the outside.
Death toll at 340. Horrible Good to hear from you. Anyone else here known to be in the affected area?
jp lives in Huntsville. Huntsville didn't get it as bad as Tuscaloosa, but there was still some damage.
Long story short: the American South is amongst the poorest in the entire country and about the only way to guarantee your house won't get flattened by a tornado is to build it underground nuclear fallout shelter style. The F5 that hit Alabama here has enough power to strip asphalt clean off the road surface and then some. A stone house would be a great way to bury yourself alive I'd imagine. Anything above ground runs the risk of having very large objects hurled at it at very high speeds even if the tornado doesn't come head on.
not likely as i would place chicago new york California colorado . with the money problems combined it out weighs the south , second i hate that everyone they interviewed looked like fat trailer trash. the south is amongst the rich of culture. lets not give in to stereotypes , you'll find the unintelligent , the poor, the moronic,the ignorant anywhere.
