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26th anniversary of the Palm Sunday tornado outbreak
Posted on 3/27/20 at 6:57 am
Posted on 3/27/20 at 6:57 am
Anyone remember this one? An EF-4 tornado struck Goshen United Methodist Church in Piedmont, Alabama while services were still going on. They did not hear the warning and the church ended up collapsing on top of the parishioners. The collapse killed 20 people and injured another 90.
My family lived nearby to Piedmont but I wasn't in the area at the time as my mom and grandma had taken me to Disney World for the first time as I was on spring break.
My family lived nearby to Piedmont but I wasn't in the area at the time as my mom and grandma had taken me to Disney World for the first time as I was on spring break.
2
Posted on 3/27/20 at 9:37 am to RollTide1987
I remember it. Story that's always stuck with me is from the church on the west side of Birmingham.
They were also having service and didn't hear the warning until it was too late for people to go home. Had everyone line up in a central hallway that ran down the length of the church. The hallway and everyone in it survived, but the rest of the building was destroyed. I was only 7 but I remember seeing the building. Was seemingly miraculous, but when I got older I realized it was well engineered, and it was well planned by the church to get everyone in there.
There was a story that made it's rounds after that church collapsed that is probably apocryphal, but it got around before everyone was really on the internet to spread it. It goes that a couple of young girls told their parents after the tornado had gone over them, that they had seen angels holding up the roof and they were begging Jesus to send more angels to help them protect everyone.
I mean, it at least falls in line with a more strict theological description of what the angels are supposed to do here on earth.
Edit: Do you know the elder Dr Ulrich over at Piedmont Family Practice? He and my grandparents have been friends for YEARS, and I still use him as my GP. Even though it's almost a 2 hour drive.
They were also having service and didn't hear the warning until it was too late for people to go home. Had everyone line up in a central hallway that ran down the length of the church. The hallway and everyone in it survived, but the rest of the building was destroyed. I was only 7 but I remember seeing the building. Was seemingly miraculous, but when I got older I realized it was well engineered, and it was well planned by the church to get everyone in there.
There was a story that made it's rounds after that church collapsed that is probably apocryphal, but it got around before everyone was really on the internet to spread it. It goes that a couple of young girls told their parents after the tornado had gone over them, that they had seen angels holding up the roof and they were begging Jesus to send more angels to help them protect everyone.
I mean, it at least falls in line with a more strict theological description of what the angels are supposed to do here on earth.
Edit: Do you know the elder Dr Ulrich over at Piedmont Family Practice? He and my grandparents have been friends for YEARS, and I still use him as my GP. Even though it's almost a 2 hour drive.
This post was edited on 3/27/20 at 9:39 am
Posted on 3/27/20 at 11:54 am to RollTide1987
Yep, our church was in Pleasant Valley. We were having church that morning when someone started beating on the side door. They said there was a tornado warning. Our whole church went to the basement, it was scary, especially for a kid.
Then we heard about Goshen and later actually drove around in our area and looked at the damage. A lot of Kimberly Clark timber was mowed down. One of our church members had a giant tree in his yard twisted off and laid over beside his house, but no other damage.
Man these anniversary posts are bringing back a lot of nostalgia for me; first the blizzard of '93 and now this.
Then we heard about Goshen and later actually drove around in our area and looked at the damage. A lot of Kimberly Clark timber was mowed down. One of our church members had a giant tree in his yard twisted off and laid over beside his house, but no other damage.
Man these anniversary posts are bringing back a lot of nostalgia for me; first the blizzard of '93 and now this.
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