Be still, my heart

I have never been so scared in my entire life, and I hope to never feel this way again. That tornado weather that I referenced earlier today? You know, the one I arrogantly said was inconveniencing me?

Well, it spawned tornadoes. Lots of them. Big ones. A mile-wide one hit my hometown of Tuscaloosa and absolutely leveled much of the center of town. You know, a couple of blocks from where my brother lives. I saw that one approaching the city on James Spann's SkyCam and nearly threw up. And then I immediately jumped in my car, headed to Wal-Mart to take shelter, and prayed like a crazy person.

It hit Tuscaloosa. Power is out there. Cell phones aren't working. Taco Casa? Destroyed. Krispy Kreme? Gone. An entire block full of stores and a whole shopping center? Leveled. Neighborhoods full of old people and college students? Wiped off the face of the planet. Alberta City? Doesn't exist anymore.

WHAT happened to all those people in those neighborhoods and stores and restaurants??? Were they in a safe place? Do they have anything left?

It was into the evening before I finally heard from Daniel and Girlfriend Olivia. I had seen that monster with my own eyes and I watched it pummel its way through their part of town. And then? My dozen or so phone calls all went straight to their voicemails. I pride myself in being level-headed and reasonable, but I very nearly had a panic attack. Heart pounding. Nausea. Sweating. Deep breaths. Pacing the floor. Lots and lots of praying on my knees.

We finally heard from him and I know next to nothing except there's a tree on his car, and he and Olivia are fine. As far as I know, his roommate is still unaccounted for. (Edited to add @ 10:20---Roommate Curtis is fine. Praise the Lord!)

We're less than an hour away but were thankfully spared. Praise the good Lord above that everyone I know in Tuscaloosa is accounted for. Please pray for all those in Tuscaloosa and throughout the state who have been affected by this. Twenty-five deaths have been reported in the state so far, and I'm sure that there will unfortunately be more.

I hate these evil things and never, ever want to do this again.

(This is the monster that tried to destroy my hometown and those I love. This is the video I watched on the TV at Wal-Mart, live, as it tore through town just yards from my brother, while I prayed and fought back the urge to vomit. I still can't believe this thing was on top of Daniel and Olivia and that they're okay. And I can't believe anyone would be fool enough to sit that close...in a car...filming that thing. It's like something from a movie.)