An hour later, the restaurant looked like this.
The tornado rode off the mountain and dropped onto the highway, destroying a high school stadium, a Huddle House, and anything else in its path – trees, homes, and people.
Search and Rescue found 25 bodies in the rubble, but judging by the cars in the parking lot, officials estimate at least 18 other people were in the restaurant at the time. Relief workers have been advised to watch for circling birds to signal the location of more bodies.
Now just shards of glass, twisted metal, discarded ketchup bottles- a shell missing its roof and walls. The details of life still remain- a clock stopped by the force of the tornado at the time it struck; a handful of brightly colored stuffed animals carried by the wind from somewhere far away and scattered amongst the broken cinderblock. The storage room, the soda fountain ripped in half–a menu trapped under a metal beams.
As far as they know, all were lost- and it's possible there are more in the rubble, their graves marked by a clock still attached to a wall, standing silently where they fell.
Rainsville's current death toll is 43. Of that number 25 of those people lost their lives in this location on April 27, 2011.
The relief effort is slow, but it continues. After days of braving the elements, excavating lifeless victims, and clearing brush from around roads and homes, helping the newly homeless pick through what possessions are left- relief workers are in desperate need of supplies, manpower, and energy. Everyday, they help people. They distribute food and supplies, help clear homes, move downed trees, and help people find whatever scattered pieces of their lives remain.
Great job, Kristen!
joe
I would like to help. I am a teacher at Mill Creek High School. Please email me ways i can help.