2011-25 Flooding in Arkansas & Tornados in Alabama
Hello All,
Our flight from Beijing to Chicago, IL, went smoothly and at 12 hours flight time it was two hours shorter than the flight to China. However, our hinnies can testify it was still a long time to sit on an airplane! By the time we arrived in Dallas, TX, after our connecting flight from Chicago we were pooped. After a quick bite to eat we crashed in the motel room we had previously reserved for the night.
The next morning we were not “bright eyed and bushy tailed” as the saying goes. We suffered from a serious case of jet lag. Anxious to get home for some rest we started our two day drive to Alabama. The first day was unremarkable and we spent the night near Little Rock, AR. However, when we woke for the final day’s drive we learned that Interstate 40 between Little Rock and Memphis, TN, had been closed due to flooding of the White River. We were forced to make a 150-mile detour on a two lane road. Not what we were looking forward to!!
Traffic moved slowly on the detour and it was backed up for miles. Police were at intersections in the small towns we passed through directing the traffic--most of which seemed to be eighteen wheeler trucks detoured out of Memphis going south. It was strange going through an area flooded, but with blue skies overhead. The heavy rain was in the northern states which raised the water levels of the Mississippi and White Rivers. Since there was absolutely nothing we could do about the situation we chalked it up to “making a memory” and went along with the flow--no pun intended.
We backed off from the truck in front of us so that we could get the following photo of the oncoming traffic at a standstill.
Our flight from Beijing to Chicago, IL, went smoothly and at 12 hours flight time it was two hours shorter than the flight to China. However, our hinnies can testify it was still a long time to sit on an airplane! By the time we arrived in Dallas, TX, after our connecting flight from Chicago we were pooped. After a quick bite to eat we crashed in the motel room we had previously reserved for the night.
The next morning we were not “bright eyed and bushy tailed” as the saying goes. We suffered from a serious case of jet lag. Anxious to get home for some rest we started our two day drive to Alabama. The first day was unremarkable and we spent the night near Little Rock, AR. However, when we woke for the final day’s drive we learned that Interstate 40 between Little Rock and Memphis, TN, had been closed due to flooding of the White River. We were forced to make a 150-mile detour on a two lane road. Not what we were looking forward to!!
Traffic moved slowly on the detour and it was backed up for miles. Police were at intersections in the small towns we passed through directing the traffic--most of which seemed to be eighteen wheeler trucks detoured out of Memphis going south. It was strange going through an area flooded, but with blue skies overhead. The heavy rain was in the northern states which raised the water levels of the Mississippi and White Rivers. Since there was absolutely nothing we could do about the situation we chalked it up to “making a memory” and went along with the flow--no pun intended.
We backed off from the truck in front of us so that we could get the following photo of the oncoming traffic at a standstill.
Even the detour went through
areas where the water was up to the road. We saw many homes and businesses
flooded and saw a family being evacuated from their home by rowboat. This next
picture is not a lake, but farmlands now inundated by the flooded river.
Upon arriving home we were
happy to see we had suffered no damage from the deadly tornado outbreak that
hit Alabama a week earlier. Others within the state were far less fortunate.
These devastating storms caused five and a half billion dollars in damage. They
took the lives of 325 people in six states of which 247 were from Alabama. With
201 tornados striking the southern states it was the worst outbreak in the
south since 1974. Sixty-two tornados struck Alabama.
Tornados are measured using the enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale. This scale ranges from EF-0 (wind from 65-85 MPH) to EF-5 (wind over 200 MPH). Normally throughout the entire annual tornado season within the United State there will be but one EF-5 tornado. These mega super cell tornados can be anywhere from a half mile to a mile and a half wide at the base. There were three of these monster EF-5 tornados on the ground during the outbreak of April 27th.
After unpacking, resting, and recovering from jet lag for a few days we decided to check out the nearby areas that took direct hits from the devastating twisters. We drove about 25 miles south of our home to the small towns of Hackleburg and Phil Campbell, AL. The devastation these two communities suffered from one of the EF-5 tornados was unbelievable and heartbreaking. This devastating tornado tracked on the ground for 133 miles!
Tornados are measured using the enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale. This scale ranges from EF-0 (wind from 65-85 MPH) to EF-5 (wind over 200 MPH). Normally throughout the entire annual tornado season within the United State there will be but one EF-5 tornado. These mega super cell tornados can be anywhere from a half mile to a mile and a half wide at the base. There were three of these monster EF-5 tornados on the ground during the outbreak of April 27th.
After unpacking, resting, and recovering from jet lag for a few days we decided to check out the nearby areas that took direct hits from the devastating twisters. We drove about 25 miles south of our home to the small towns of Hackleburg and Phil Campbell, AL. The devastation these two communities suffered from one of the EF-5 tornados was unbelievable and heartbreaking. This devastating tornado tracked on the ground for 133 miles!
It is just amazing how a tornado can destroy
half of a building but leave some glass windows intact in the other half.
Disaster relief personnel had
set up a tent for handing out water, food and other supplies. It was also used
for meetings to answer the many questions concerning recovery issues--safety,
sanitation, clearing of debris, insurance claims, medical needs, utilities, and
rebuilding the infrastructure of their towns. Basically, they needed help in
restoring their lives and their towns.
The Salvation Army had moved
in and set up shop in what was left of this building.
It was a lot to take in and
absorb and it started us asking ourselves many questions--are we adequately
insured, do we need a storm shelter, do we have photos of household
furnishings, do we have vital records duplicated and stored in a safe place,
etc.
We continued our ride and talked about issues concerning disasters. We ended up driving through the Bankhead National Forest. It was so peaceful and refreshing--a stark contrast to the tornado ravaged areas.
Within the forest we came across trees with huge flowers. Each flower was made up with six to eight white petals and was about 14 inches in diameter. A pale brown cone was in the center of the flowers. Individual flowers were in the center of a group of large leaves. Each leaf was about 2 ½ feet in length and resembled banana palm leaves. In all our travels we have never come across a tree like this before, nor did we have any idea what they were. After a lot of research we believe what we were seeing were Umbrella Magnolia trees.
We continued our ride and talked about issues concerning disasters. We ended up driving through the Bankhead National Forest. It was so peaceful and refreshing--a stark contrast to the tornado ravaged areas.
Within the forest we came across trees with huge flowers. Each flower was made up with six to eight white petals and was about 14 inches in diameter. A pale brown cone was in the center of the flowers. Individual flowers were in the center of a group of large leaves. Each leaf was about 2 ½ feet in length and resembled banana palm leaves. In all our travels we have never come across a tree like this before, nor did we have any idea what they were. After a lot of research we believe what we were seeing were Umbrella Magnolia trees.
Here are a couple of flower buds that stood
eight inches tall.
This is what the trees look
like in the forest. Looking at the leaves it’s easy to see how the trees got
their umbrella name.
Cruising further within
Bankhead Forest we came upon Pine Torch Church. The old church has quite a
history. In the early 1800’s settlers of Scotch-Irish and Indian ancestry began
moving into the area. These mountain people homesteaded small tracts of
property on public domain lands. The church was built as a place of worship for
the local community. It consisted of one room 24’ by 27’ of hand-hewn logs. The
original floor consisted of hand-hewn poplar planks, some of which were 48 inches
wide. Beginning around 1920 the original flooring was stolen over a period of a
couple of years. A new floor was built around 1940. The original roof was made
of hand-split shingles that were later replaced with tin. The first pews were
hewn from solid slabs of poplar trees. The pews have since been replaced.
Pine Torch got its name from the blazing pine knots that were used to light the church services after dark. After services, the knots were used to light the way home. Pine Torch Church is one of the oldest structures within Bankhead National Forest.
Pine Torch got its name from the blazing pine knots that were used to light the church services after dark. After services, the knots were used to light the way home. Pine Torch Church is one of the oldest structures within Bankhead National Forest.
A little later in the week a
line of thunderstorms passed through our local area during the night with the
usual lightning, thunder, and blowing wind. One gust was so strong, and it
shook our house so hard that it woke us up. Now, that is saying something since
we live in a brick house! The next morning when Dave got up and went to make
coffee, he looked out the kitchen window into our front yard. This is when he
discovered that one of our beautiful 30-foot bradford pear trees had been
snapped about four foot above the ground. Luckily it missed the house and was
laying in the yard.
About an hour later our
neighbor and his two teenage daughters knocked on the door and asked if we
could use some help getting rid of our downed tree. Wow, what wonderful
neighbors. Within an hour our neighbor had the tree cut up as the rest of us
hauled the pieces to the curb for the city to pick up. Come to find out we were
not the only ones that lost a beautiful tree. In fact, our neighbors had already
helped remove other trees that had fallen in the neighborhood. No wonder the
girls looked a bit tired. Their hard work was greatly appreciated.
As we discovered on a drive
later in the week many trees were down throughout town, some of which hit houses
and did major damage. Mother Nature can be so beautiful at times and at other
times she can be so violent.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns