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  • Damage occurred in Welti and the farm of Garry and Kristi Baker where two chicken houses were destroyed. Tiffany Green

    Possible tornado strikes Welti

  • Tin and debris was scattered all over the roadway and in the trees. Tiffany Green

    Possible tornado strikes Welti

  • The culvert at Hidden Lakes neighborhood was washed away, leaving about 50 residents stranded overnight. Tiffany Green

    Possible tornado strikes Welti

Discussion

April 25, 2010

Possible tornado strikes Welti

By Tiffany Green The Cullman Times

WELTI — Garry Baker was standing on his mother-in-laws porch, looking across the field to his chicken houses, when he saw the storm clouds coming.

“I knew it was coming this way,” he said. “I saw the black cloud and saw a lot of debris flying through the air. I ran into the house to the basement, then heard a loud whoosh and said it is here.”

After only seconds, Baker returned to the porch and said he saw the damage.

Two chicken houses were totally demolished. Debris was everywhere, down the road, across the street and even in the tree tops.

The Bakers stopped farming chickens in February and were using the houses as a place for storage.

“It’s like the tornado just bounced on top of them,” he said. “I have never heard or seen anything like it before.”

Sunday afternoon, friends, family and neighbors were cleaning up the mess.

“Tin was scattered all over the road,” Baker said.

Phyllis Little, Cullman County EMA director, said most of the reported damage was in the Welti community.

“Two chicken house were destroyed and there was some home and barn damage also,” she said.

She said she believes after hearing Baker’s eye witness account of the storm and seeing the damage, there was a tornado.

“I would say it was probably a small tornado,” she said.

No injuries were reported in Cullman County.

The same storm system that left at least 10 dead and more than a dozen injured in Mississippi came through parts of Cullman.

“The majority of damage was trees, power lines and roads washed out on the east side, Little said.

At Hidden Lakes subdivision, between Cullman and Welti, the only way in and out was washed away during the storm.

“We were getting ready to go home after storm clean-up Saturday night and got the call about this,” said Doug Williams, Cullman county associate commissioner.

The 40 foot culvert was completely washed away, leaving a large hole where the road normally runs.

“The pipe underneath rusted and then Mother Nature took her course,” he said.

Not only was the road washed away, but the gas, water and phone lines were also damaged.

“We were fortunate nobody needed fire or rescue,” Williams said.

As of 3 p.m. on Sunday, there was one lane allowing residents access in and out of the neighborhood. Williams said the road crew would be back on Monday to finish the job.

“They have been out here all night working,” he said.

Little said one concern of many residents was the warning sirens.

Because there were so many warnings within minutes of each other, many times the sirens did not sound.

Little explained they run off battery power and with so many going off in a short period of time, they lost power.

“The batteries were simply drained of power because of multiple tornado warnings in short succession,” she said. “That’s just how the system works.”

Little advised everyone to get a weather radio.

“I wish everyone would go buy a weather radio,” she said. “This is the best way in the first line of defense.”

Other damage reports were the tobacco shop on Hwy. 31 South and some trees down throughout the county.



* Tiffany Green can be reached by e-mail at tgreen@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.

 

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