I had failed to hear about the Autauga county deaths until I saw it on the news today. In fact the last I had heard we had no deaths in Bama. Sure didn't realize 7 had died. Sorry to hear your friend was one of them.
We've had a bunch of close calls since moving here in '94. One came over up in the air and took out a bunch of my trees, had them laying in all directions same as the guy who lives across highway from us and neighbor to my east. It dropped a couple big oaks behind my house higher up than my house and then partially lifted the roof on the place Matt was living in my back yard.
That same day was the day so many long track tornados hit Bama and so many folks died. I think the day was April 27 if I recall correctly, don't recall the year.
The one that tore up so many buildings up on the Jacksonville State University campus passed just beyond the hill across the highway from me, maybe a half mile from me if that. It broke a cedar tree in my front yard, snapped it like a match stick. Only damage I had.
It took out the small grocery store I buy from and a church across the road. That was 3.5 miles further on up toward Jacksonville.
Same day as the one that actually cross my land up in air another hit back behind us a couple miles or so and destroyed a lot of homes. One belonged to a guy who used to work for me and graduated high school with my wife. It just lifted his entire house into the air and then set it back down a few feet away. Didn't take it apart as you normally see, just lifted it and set it back down. He was in it at the time.
With one we were watching the weather report on TV and they said a tornado is on the ground moving from Ohatchee to Jacksonville and reported it had just crossed US431 at AL Hwy 204. That is the road I live on and just 3 miles from my house.
Almost as he said that we lost all power and TV. I figured it was coming rat at us but when a few minutes later we were still here I figured maybe not. That was the one that hot the grocery, church and Jax State University.
Down here in Bama tornados don't care what month it is.