Class of 1955, Rose Hill, Kansas

Without power we were unable to grasp the magnitude of destruction suffered by Alabama, however, as time passed our neighbors began to piece things together. The closest damage was trees blown down three houses away with many more down in the neighborhood. Several outbuildings were destroyed about ½ mile away. But the main tornado swath was about two miles away; it was ½ mile wide and 16 miles long! Other tornadoes also touched down in the area. It appears that every town in the northern half of Alabama has suffered significant damage. The latest death count in the state is 234.

To keep the refrigerator running we used an inverter hooked to the pickup. Since it is rated at 750 watts it won’t do more than one thing at a time, but it will also make a pot of coffee. After two days next door neighbor remembered he had an old, small generator that might still work. He gave it to us and Jack managed to bring it to life with some gas additive and starting fluid. It’s a 1600 watt version and gave us some added capability. Then another neighbor stopped by with some hamburgers and hot dogs he had cooked on his grill, which we enjoyed. The next day another neighbor brought us a home cooked meal of shrimp and sausage that he and his wife had prepared. We heard many reports of folks sharing everything and even some businesses were giving food away as they cleaned out their freezers. As of yesterday (May 2) there were still no restaurants open in Arab, but since power has returned to most of the town we expect a rapid recovery.

It was no more than an inconvenience for Jack & Barbara, but our hearts go out to those around the area that suffered many losses. Thanks to all my classmates who inquired about our well-being!