One of my family members lives in Birmingham AL and was catching a flight back to NC Wednesday afternoon, and got a last minute stand-by seat on an earlier flight. They packed everyone on the plane quickly, set it off to taxi before everyone had stowed their geer in the overhead compartments, and got off the ground just as the skies were getting dark to the west. Obviously the air controllers knew what was on the way and wanted to get the flight out before weather grounded things for a while. He made it out safely.
Just as a side note, I had to cringe this morning when I watched a storm survivor on TV say "Obviously God had a bigger plan for me, because I was saved!" I've heard lots of people say things like "The Lord was watching over me" or "God saved me today"...and I really wonder how the folks who had friends or family killed in the storm take those comments. Does that mean their loved ones weren't very high on God's agenda? Does that mean He wasn't interested in protecting them for some reason. wish people would think a bit before making these claims that seem to elevate their status at the expense of those who died. It was a random storm...not Judgement Day (though it might have felt like it for a while).
Sorry to rant on religion...these statements just get on my nerves.
Normally I would agree 100% with you on your thoughts on the religious aspect as portrayed on TV, but faith is all that is keeping most people sane and/or alive. The destruction is incredible, and how people survived is beyond me. Our area of the NW corner of the state (around 150k people) has been overwhelmed with 'evacuees' to the point where traffic is bumper to bumper, and there are no hotel/motel/b&b's available. There's been an influx of thousands of people to the area. There are lines several blocks long of people waiting in line to get fuel. Gas prices jumped $0.15 within a matter of hours, and gas stations everywhere are running out of fuel. Food prices have skyrocketed. There were reports on the radio of 12 pack bottles of water were being sold for $8+. There are lines at the grocery stores, Target, and the Walmarts in the area. The death toll will no doubt rise to at least 500 people if not more. There is so much that has not been reported by the national news outlets....
Faith is all they/we have to live on, and being in the south, the vast majority of people are Christians. I have a difficult time relating to many Christians, but I was raised Presbyterian/Southern Baptist/Church of Christ and I understand why people thank God for sparing their lives...because God is all these people have. The local news from Huntsville (running on generators and continuous coverage for the past 48 hours) just reported about a woman who was seeking shelter in a bathroom. A F-4 tornado went thru her house. As the house was being blown away, she clung for dear life to a toilet. Unfortunely, her grip finally gave way, and she was tossed into her yard. Thankfully she only sustained minor injuries (7-8 stitches in her hand). As soon as she got stitched up, she went back to what remained of her house (a concrete slab), and proceeded to help her neighbors try and salvage what was left of their houses and personal possessions. The only thing that that woman had to cling to was her religion...her faith in God.
Not criticizing or chastising. Just please understand that for thousands upon thousands of people have nothing. Please be patient...