Alabama Newscenter Remembers — Alabama Communities, Nonprofits Rallied to Aid Neighbors After 2011 Twisters

By Carla Davis

Thinking back on the tremendous devastation and death toll caused by the 62 tornadoes that swept Alabama on April 27, 2011, Robin Skagen said there’s only one word to describe that dark day: “surreal.”

Skagen, an American Red Cross disaster action team responder at the time, was one of the first on the ground after a tornado swept through the Tuscaloosa area early that morning. It was her job to help assess the damage so the Red Cross could determine ways it could assist the victims.

Skagen encountered everything from homes that were torn apart to live power lines blocking the road to a man who answered the door with a bandage around his head because a beam had fallen on him. Later that night, a pregnant woman would walk 6 miles to a Red Cross shelter because her home and car were destroyed.

The AlabamaWx Weather Blog gladly brings you an excerpt of this article through a partnership with the Alabama NewsCenter. You can see the complete post featuring all the associated images and videos by clicking HERE.

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