FULL PHOTO GALLERY AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE
Troy residents are continuing to clean-up and recover after a tornado caused significant damage in Troy late Saturday night. While no fatalities or major injuries were reported locally, at least 3 in Alabama and 39 nationally have died due to a series of storms across several states.
A portion of the roof was torn off the Troy Recreation Center’s gymnasium, where 200 people were taking sheltering from the storm. There was also severe damage to the baseball fields at the Troy Sportsplex.
Several businesses sustained damage along Highway 231, including the Flash Market, Preston’s, Mikita’s, Viet’s Pho and The Juicy Crab. In the Walmart parking lot, a large vehicle was flipped over. In Pike County, almost 1,000 people experienced power loss due to fallen power lines.
The area around Elm Street saw a large amount of fallen trees, and many houses had minor roof damage with at least one home sustaining major damage.
Lauren Cole, Troy University’s Director of Career Services, and her husband David Cole, live in that neighborhood – just one street away from a house that had the roof torn off.
“We went outside and the only damage we could see would be when it would lightning and the skies would light up,” David Cole said. “We knew going to bed last night that we had a lot of work ahead of us and there was significant damage, so we got up this morning not knowing exactly how bad it was, and we were just overwhelmed with all of the trees that were down.”
The Coles said they were thankful that only their trees, and not their home, were damaged. Lauren Cole said they were scared while sheltering, listening to the strong winds from inside.
“We had on our helmets and our tennis shoes, we were listening to WSFA and all of the things to give us advice on the weather, and we were really, really scared,” she said. “We could hear how strong the storm was outside, but once it had passed and we were allowed to get out . . . we were pretty shocked.”
The both emphasized how the community came together to help them.
“This street, Elm Street here, was lined bumper to bumper with volunteers, utilities, first responders, elected officials here to help everyone in need, and we are just blessed to live in an area where that's the attitude here when someone is in a devastating situation,” David Cole said.
Don Wambles is the disaster relief coordinator for the Salem Troy Association, which is part of the Alabama Disaster Relief Association. He has rushed to many scenes of destruction across the country to provide aid. However, he said helping clean the damage in his own neighborhood was a different kind of heartbreaking.
“My heart hurts,” Wambles said. “We do a lot of this, and it's always heartbreaking whenever you go and you see the damage, the destruction of people's lives and the fact that they're just absolutely overwhelmed by the damage, but then the fact that somebody comes in there and wants to help them clean up their yard, charge them nothing at all – we want to be Jesus' hands and feet in the community, and that's what we try to do is share his love with them.”
Banks, a town about ten miles from Troy, also suffered substantial tornado damage.
Christopher Allen was asleep in his mobile home in Banks when the tornado picked up his residence and carried it hundreds of yards away and flipped it over. He had to receive staples for a gash on his head and injuries to his hand required surgery. His wounds and the loss of his home have overwhelmed his daughter, Lacee Allen.
“When I pulled up and seen what I seen, I was absolutely shocked and speechless,” Lacee Allen said. “I was just super glad to hear that he was okay whenever I had pulled up and everything, and they told me that he was okay and was taken to the hospital, but just still looking around at the devastation – It was a lot. It was overwhelming.
“If you live in a mobile home and you get those alerts saying to get out of the mobile home, just get out. Nobody's safe when there's a tornado warning in your area. It could land anywhere. I just would've never thought that I was going to wake up to something like this. It was just absolutely shocking.”
The Allens, like many people affected the tornado, were grateful to be helped by neighbors and strangers alike, providing them with toiletries, food and manual labor.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey released a statement Sunday expressing condolences for Alabamians affected by the storms.
“We have reports of damage in 52 of our 67 counties,” Ivy said. “Our damage assessment continues.
“The sun has risen in Alabama, though. We pray for those lives we lost, as well as those who were injured. And we pray for our first responders, emergency management officials and linemen who are doing incredible work on the ground right now.”
The Tropolitan has requested a statement from Herbert Reeves, the Director of Pike County EMA. At time of publication, the Tropolitan had not received a reply, but this article will be updated as new information and statements are received.
TROY RECREATION CENTER WITH INSULATION DEBRIS
BUSINESSES AND DAMAGE ALONG HIGHWAY 231
ELM STREET NEIGHBORHOOD
ALL PHOTOS BY EMILY MOSIER