Published: May 10, 2008 12:56 am            

Residents bracing for new wave of severe weather

Severe thunderstorms could move into Cullman County Saturday evening, just two days after a tornado struck the area.

According to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service, an EF1 tornado caused at least some of the damage in the county. Strong winds knocked down trees and power lines from Good Hope and Crane Hill to Arab and Baileyton.

EF1 tornadoes can generate enough wind force to peel the surface off roofs, overturn mobile homes and move automobiles.

Andy Kula, meteorologist with the NWS said the storm expected to hit Cullman Saturday night through Sunday morning could be comparable to Thursday’s weather.

“Tomorrow (Saturday) actually looks like an even more wide-spread wind event,” Kula said. “It’s definitely something to keep an eye on.”

Kula added that large hail and a tornado could accompany the storm.

“I can’t predict that Cullman would get hit like Thursday, but definitely the risk is there,” Kula said.

Cullman County resident Kasey Barnett does not need to be told the potential risks.

Kasey Barnett looked at the house on County Road 497 she and her husband moved into after they were married in August. The home stood in two halves, split by a large tree which fell in Thursday’s storm and crushed through the center of the roof.

“I was in the house when it fell,” she said. “I was thinking ‘oh, what pretty rain,’ and then it wasn’t so pretty anymore. The wind was loud and the rain was coming down really hard. I bolted all the doors and went into the hallway. I was holding on for my life.”

While Barnett huddled in the hallway with her two dogs, the tree which had stood in her front yard toppled on her roof and came through her home only feet away from her.

“Afterwards I could hardly breathe for all the insulation,” she said.

On Friday, an insurance claim inspector came to the Barnetts’ home to evaluate the damage to their house and Kasey’s husband’s truck, which was also crushed under a large tree.

“It will be at least two weeks before we can start work on our house,” she said. “We’ll have to hire a contractor, get all our electrical wiring done and the water lines. ... Three water lines burst in our front yard during the storm.”

Until then, the Cullman Chapter of the American Red Cross found accomodations for the Barnetts in the Hanceville Inn and Suites.

Not far from the Barnetts, J.D. Patterson sat on a large stump Friday and stared at the ruins which used to be his garage.

“I was in the garage when it hit,” he said. Patterson and his two young children had just got out of their car and into the garage when the wind strengthened.

“The rain started coming in sideways,” he said. “I’ve never seen rain come in sideways like that.”

Patterson said he remembered he had not gotten his car far enough into the garage to protect it if trees fell. However, when he ducked back in through the door to the garage, a large tree did fall and demolished his garage and his car.

“I had just barely gotten in the door,” he said, and patted the stump he sat on. “This tree was huge, but it was rotted all the way up.”

Patterson, his wife and his children are staying with his mother until plans can be made to work on his home. “We’re just really lucky,” he said.

While some residents dealt with storm damage, others dealt with traffic problems caused by power outages. Traffic lights throughout the city of Cullman shut down, causing more than a few dangerous traffic jams.

Cullman City Police Chief Kenny Culpepper said to cut down on potentially dangerous traffic problems in the future, motorists should always treat powerless traffic lights as a four-way stop sign.

“We really depend on the public to use common sense and be courteous,” Culpepper said. “There’s too many intersections. There’s no way we can physically cover it all.”

If a tornado touches down Saturday evening, residents are encouraged to avoid all windows in their homes. Get in the basement of the home and under some kind of sturdy protection. If the home does not have a basement, move to lowest floor and get into a small room such as a bathroom or closet.

If you live in a mobile home and a tornado is in your vicinity, vacate the building immediately. Even if your home is tied down, you are probably safer outside, even if the only alternative is to seek shelter out in the open. Most tornadoes can destroy even tied-down mobile homes.

Kelly Allen, deputy director of the Cullman County Emergency Management Agency said emergency personnel are on full alert to deal with the weekend storm.

“We’ll probably be out working all that night,” Allen said.

        

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