Restaurant helps stranded motorists in Southern winter storm

In a day in age where negative news seems the norm, here is some good news to start your day!  While many of us know of the chaos that hit the Deep South states Tuesday from a winter storm that was worse than usual, there were some that jumped to the aid of stranded motorists and helped make their day a bit easier.

A Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Birmingham, Ala. decided to close early and send the team members (Chick-Fil-A speak for staff) home.  However no one was able to get very far, so the restaurant helped by giving away several hundred sandwiches to those stranded, some there for over 7 hours with no food or water.
CFA did not charge a penny for them.

To read the whole account, go to the link here.

Proud of Chick-Fil-A for stepping in and making a rough situation a lot easier for many!  This is the kind of attitude by the Chick-Fil-A family that causes so many people to go out of their way to find a CFA restaurant for their meals.  This is the kind of attitude we need to see more of in the world around us today!

MAJOR SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK IN PROGRESS IN THE SOUTH

A violent series of storms is currently firing up across the Deep South and creating a dangerous situation for people across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Numerous reports of serious damage have already been reported and storms are expected to continue firing up and spread north and eastward. The threat area will continue to stay in the Deep South for the time being, but is expected to soon spread to the Mid South, affecting the states of Tennessee and Kentucky. Georgia, Ohio, Indiana and other neighboring states throughout the afternoon and evening.

This is a very dangerous situation for the affected areas. It would be wise to currently overview all safety information pertaining to severe weather, even if you are not yet under a warning.

I intend to post a liveblog here, with information coming in from The Weather Channel, local emergency officials and local media in the affected areas as it pertains to warnings and damage information.



LIVE BLOG (in Central Time)

12:25 PM: Major damage reports have been coming in for the last couple of hours from La., Miss. and Ala. Reports of 30 houses flattened in Eagle Bend, Miss. A church suffered structural damage in Meehan, Miss. Houses in Meridian, Miss. reported to have structural damage. Within the last half-hour, a large powerful tornado has been marching towards Yazoo City, Miss. with a history of damage. This same stormcell damaged a chemical plant in Omega, La. with reports of people trapped and injured.

12:45: Reports now just coming out of Yazoo City, Miss. are painting an ominous picture. It seems that there has been a likely catastrophic tornado assult on the community with numerous buildings leveled. More to come...

1:40: First warnings out for Middle Tennessee. Severe thunderstorm warning out for Williamson, Rutherford, Davidson and Wilson counties for the next few minutes.

1:45: News just coming out in the last few minutes reports that the tornadic supercell that moved through Yazoo City moved on to produce serious damage in Durant, Miss. "Major damage" along Interstate 55 with cars blown off the road and trees and signs down.

3:00: Damaging storms have continued their march across Mississippi and Alabama causing serious destruction. Reports of chemical hazards at the damaged chemical complex in Omega, La. with 12 tank cars overturned and ground storage tanks damaged. Long-track tornado marched through Yazoo City creating substantial damage. The same supercell moved through Starkville, near the Mississippi State University campus and towards Columbus Air Force Base. Reports of damage are now coming in from near Columbus AFB.

5:15: Severe threat seems to have moved out of Mississippi and has moved into Alabama and into Tennessee. Three clusters of weather warnings now exist in the South and in the Mississippi River valley. The northernmost cluster holds severe warnings in Missouri, including a tornado warning near St. Louis. The southern most cluster area features a line of warnings from extreme eastern Mississippi through Alabama to the Tenn. line. The middle cluster seems to be the most volatile at the present time and holds warnings, particularly tornadic warnings, from West Tennessee up through Kentucky to the Indiana line.

5:20: Wind damage is being reported in Decatur County, Tenn.

BREAKING NEWS: Storms Roll Through Middle Tennessee, Murfreesboro Heavily Affected

Devastating storms have rolled through Middle Tennessee this afternoon, creating major damage in a widespread area. Especially hard hit was Murfreesboro, a city of over 100,000 and home to Middle Tennessee State University. The university was spared, but major damage is being reported in the Blackman area, as well as numerous other areas around the city from the touchdown that occurred between 12:30 and 1 PM CT. Reports are coming in of at least two deaths, but those are not confirmed. Reports are just now coming in (3:50 PM CT) that at least 13 people are being treated for injuries in Rutherford County (Murfreesboro).

Damage is also being reported in the Nashville/Davidson County area in the form of power lines and trees. Houses were damaged in Robertson County in the Cottontown community. The same line of storms also caused damage in Dickson County and areas adjacent to that community.

An earlier line of storms caused damage in Maury County, and several other areas in the form of straight-line winds.

The storms have now pushed through Middle Tennessee and the Cumberland Pleateau. I watched coverage in my hometown of Cookeville from the shelter of the Cookeville Regional Medical Center, which was under a "Code Gray".

The storms are now prompting tornado warnings in counties of East Tennessee, particularly in the southeast corner of our state. Reports came in within the last half hour about a funnel cloud sighting near Crossville, in Cumberland County. That has not yet been confirmed.


Updates From The Nashville Tennessean newspaper

NOT AGAIN!

It seems that Hurricane Gustav, now Category 4 strength with winds of about 140 miles per hour, is eyeing the U.S. mainland, probably Louisiana. Landfall could come sometime Monday morning. Parishes in Louisiana have been falling under mandatory evacuations throughout the day, and now the city of New Orleans is finding itself in one. Others have been fleeing voluntarily. Over a million people have been reportedly fleeing the Gulf. Republican leaders, led by the governors of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi will not be attending the GOP Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, choosing to lead the crisis management work back home. Over 80 people are dead in the Caribbean, mostly in Haiti, after this storm rolled through that area.

We most certainly need to keep the people of the Gulf, and all others affected, in our thoughts and prayers during this seriously concerning time.

DEVELOPING STORY

TORNADO STRIKES DOWNTOWN ATLANTA; AT LEAST TWO DEAD AND 20 INJURED, PEOPLE MAY BE MISSING.















The facade of the Philips Arena, where the NBA's
Atlanta Hawks nest, was shredded in places.















The view outside CNN Center last night.














Fans at the SEC Tournament in the Georgia Dome
are warned about the severe weather Friday night.






















Windows at the Omni hotel at the CNN Center are
blown out.

























Water pipes broke at the Georgia World Congress
Center, making a waterfall out of these stairs.

















This sign near the Georgia Dome was toppled.

















One of the holes that broke the canvas roof at the
Georgia Dome.



















All that remains of some of the entrances and windows
at the Georgia World Congress Center is shards.

Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and CNN.





An apparent tornado struck downtown Atlanta Friday night, hitting the South's biggest city at a very busy time. The SEC and ACC basketball tournaments were being held in the Georgia Dome as the winds howled outside. Catwalks and scoreboards inside the dome were actually swaying from the wind, scaring thousands of fans to shelter.

Hotels and skyscrapers saw many windows blown out, and debris coated the streets. The CNN Center was hit with roof and window damage. Tarps covered computers in the network's newsroom. The Omni hotel adjacent to the CNN Center had major window damage, and furniture from upper floors was sucked out of the building. At Centennial Olympic Park, torch-resembling towers were blown over. The city's distinctive high-rise, the 73-story Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel, was marked with scores of destroyed windows. The Georgia Dome's canvas roof was pierced in some spots. The Philips Arena was also hit hard, with pieces of metal from its facade torn off, and blown onto the street in front of the CNN Center.

Just east of downtown, twenty houses were demolished in the Georgia capital's historic Cabbagetown district. The storm demolished the top floor of the Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts, a 104-year-old textile factory complex turned into apartments. Some were believed to be missing there, but search attempts proved that false.

Two people were killed by the storms in areas north of Atlanta.



KEEP ABREAST:
CNN
MSNBC
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WXIA-NBC TV, Atlanta
WGCL-CBS TV, Atlanta
WSB-ABC TV, Atlanta
WAGA-FOX TV, Atlanta

TRAGEDY IN THE SOUTH

SUPER TUESDAY CATASTROPHE!

Death Toll Continues To Rise In Deadliest U.S. Tornado Outbreak In 23 Years. Homes, Universities, Shopping Malls, Natural Gas Pumping Stations Among The Devastated Buildings. President Bush To Visit Damaged Areas Friday.


Tuesday was supposed to be a day dominated by the results of the Super Tuesday primaries, news of how the U.S. Presidential race is shaping up.

However, something much more darker and deadly quickly grabbed its place in the minds of America.

The deadliest severe weather outbreak in 23 years slammed America's Southern and Midwest states, killing at least 55 and injuring over 300. The storms destroyed houses, retirement homes, post offices, a shopping mall, and a natural gas pumping station, among other places.

The hardest hit areas were: Aiken, Arkansas; Memphis, Jackson, Hardin County, Williamson County, Sumner County, and Macon County, all in Tennessee; and communities in northern Alabama and south-central Kentucky.

Probably the most blessed area of the night was metro Nashville, Tennessee. A deadly tornado struck in an area to the southwest, around Fairview in Williamson County. The storm's funnel pulled back up as it approached the city of Nashville. The supercell continued to cross over the city, and dropped its funnel again after passing over Nashville's Davidson County. That funnel stayed on the ground for 51 miles, passing through Sumner, Macon, and Trousdale counties in Tennessee, and continuing on through Allen County, Kentucky. That tornado alone killed at least 27 people.

Below is a photo essay of the disaster. For stories and videos, click the links below. May God be with all who suffered great loss in these areas. They are certainly in America's thoughts and prayers! For those in these regions, I just want to encourage you all to keep the faith! You will bounce back, swiftly and better than before, because you have faith in the Almighty above, and a strong Puritian work-ethic based on your faith. We stand with you as you try your hardest to recover.



Outbreak death toll
State
Total
County
Countytotal

Alabama 6
Jackson 2
Lawrence 4

Arkansas 13
Baxter 1
Conway 2
Izard 2
Pope 4
Stone 1
Van Buren 3

Kentucky 7
Allen 4
Muhlenberg 3

Tennessee 33
Fayette 1
Hardin 3
Macon 14
Madison 2
Shelby 3
Sumner 7
Trousdale 3

Totals
59
All confirmed deaths are tornado-related

Tolls are from Wikipedia











Tennessee's death tolls by county as of Wednesday night, Feb. 6, 2008.


SUMNER COUNTY, TENNESSEE










The historic Wynnewood site in Castilian Springs, a hard-hit area.





















The remains of the Castilian Springs post office were blown across the street from where it once stood.

Postal workers try to recover items from the demolished Castilian Springs post office.

Debris shrewn across a Castilian Springs highway.

A house stands near Castilian Springs, while neighboring houses in the back are gone.





TROUSDALE COUNTY, TENNESSEE

















The glow could be seen in all surrounding counties, and for miles when the Columbia Gulf natural gas pumping station caught fire after taking a direct hit from the tornado. The flames shot as much as 500 feet in the air in the fire.















The remains of the Columbia Gulf facility, near Hartsville, after the tornado and fire caused severe damage.


MACON COUNTY, TENNESSEE






















Houses near Lafayette, Tennessee, lie in ruin after a direct hit by the tornado, measured at 3/4 of a mile wide. The tornado stayed on the ground for 51 miles after passing Nashville.

The remains of the F&M Furniture Manufacturing Company in Lafayette.

An overview of the F&M destruction.

Yet another image of F&M.

A house in Macon County after Tuesday night's tornado.




MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE















The Sears at the Hickory Hill Mall in Memphis suffered serious damage. The mall itself was closed because of substantial damage.











This Caterpillar plant in Memphis sustained severe damage.















The remains of a warehouse in Memphis.




JACKSON, TENNESSEE

















This Walgreens near Union University shows signs of heavy damage.


















A BancorpSouth branch and an Arby's restaurant with Union University in the background.


















Another view of the BancorpSouth branch.

















A Jackson church sustained haevy damage.

















A view of the destroyed dorms at Union.















Another view of the devastated dorms.
















Yet another view of the dorms.



















And yet another view.



































Cars were strewn around the campus.































One of Union's largest buildings sustained heavy roof damage.


















Images are courtesy of the Tennessean, Commercial Appeal, and the Jackson Sun.


REFERENCE LINKS

Wikipedia article on the "2008 Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak"


ARTICLES

Associated Press
CNN
MSNBC
Memphis, Tenn., Commercial Appeal
Commercial Appeal Special Section
Nashville, Tenn., Tennessean
Tennessean Special Section
WTVF-TV, Nashville, Tenn., Special Section
WSMV-TV, Nashville, Tenn., Special Section
WMC-TV, Memphis, Tenn., Special Section
Jackson, Tenn., Sun - Special Section
Gallatin, Tenn., News-Examiner (Courtesy of The Tennessean)
Clarksville, Tenn., Leaf-Chronicle
Little Rock, Ark., Democrat-Gazette
Birmingham, Ala., News
Bowling Green, Ky., Daily News


VIDEO

MSNBC- Supercell took region by suprise
CNN Video Coverage
Tennessean Video Coverage
WSMV-TV, Nashville, Tenn., Video


PHOTO GALLERIES

Tennessean Audio Photo Gallery
Tennessean Audio Photo Gallery with scenes from across the "Volunteer State".
Macon County, Tenn.
Sumner County, Tenn.
Fairview, Williamson County, Tenn. (The supercell thunderstorm dropped a tornado here, then it fizzled as the storm crossed Nashville. The supercell then dropped the deadly funnel after leaving Nashville, and went on its rampage through Sumner, Trousdale, and Macon Counties, before causing choas in a section of south-central Kentucky.)
Jackson, Tenn.
Columbia Gulf Natural Gas pumping station fire, Trousdale County, Tenn.
Union University tornado photos
Commercial Appeal slide show
Commercial Appeal slide show II
Clean-up photos from the Little Rock, Ark. Democrat-Gazette
Jackson, Tenn. Sun's special coverage of the storms, including photo galleries

DEVELOPING WEATHER STORY

FEBRUARY SEVERE WEATHER BLASTS THROUGH MIDWEST, MIDSOUTH; AT LEAST 23 REPORTED DEAD, OVER 100 INJURED.

Springlike severe thunderstorms, many including tornadoes, blew through a large swath of the Midsouth Tuesday night, and is continuing to threaten portions of the region.

At least 23 are confirmed dead at this time, and over 100 are injured across Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and other neighboring states in a storm system bizarre for this time of year.

Seven of those deaths are in northern Arkansas, and at least six others died across the state. Widespread damage is reported across that state.

Tennessee is another very hard-hit state. A tornadic thunderstorm blew through the metropolitian Memphis area during the early evening. It destroyed a warehouse building, damaged a Caterpillar plant, and caused serious damage to the Hickory Ridge Mall, where a wall and the roof of a Sears store were heavily damaged. At least one fatility has been reported at Hickory Ridge. A hangar at Memphis International Airport that was occupied by the National Guard had its roof torn off. FedEx Corp. reported damage to some of its facilities at the airport in its hometown.

From there the storm followed Interstate 40 to Jackson, Tenn., where widespread damage was reported. Dorm buildings at Union University were reduced to rubble, trapping at least nine and injuring others. Classes at Union will reportedly be cancelled for two weeks to deal with the damage. At least 50 people were trapped in the damaged Jackson Oaks retirement home. Other damage was reported, as well, across West Tennessee, where at least four fatalities occured. Three other deaths were reported elsewhere in the Volunteer State.

The storms paraded across West and Middle Tennessee, and wreaked havoc in the areas around Nashville during the early night hours. The Columbia Natural Gas facility in Hartsville, Trousdale County, was slammed by a reported tornado, setting it on fire and throwing flames up to 500 feet into the air. The light from the fire was seen in all surrounding counties.

In Kentucky, three were reportedly killed when storms blasted a mobile home park in Muhlenberg County.

The storms interfered with Super Tuesday voting, as Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee were all holding their Presidential primaries. Presidential candidates Mike Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas, and Hillary Clinton, a previous Arkansas First Lady, all expressed condolances to those who have been affected by Tuesday's serious weather condition.

This is a developing story, as tornadic thunderstorms are still pushing through a stretch of the country from Ohio, through Middle Tennessee, and into Mississippi.

Memphis Commercial Appeal
Nashville Tennessean
Jackson, Tenn., Sun
Little Rock, Ark., Democrat-Gazette
CNN
Jackson, Tenn., photos
Middle Tennessee photos
Account of the fire at the Hartsville, Tenn., natural gas facility

A Look At The First Major Storm Outbreak Of 2007

Scenes from Enterprise, Alabama, where the worst of Thursday's storm damage was experienced. The above picture shows a damaged classroom in the Enterprise High School, where five people lost their lives. In the bottom picture, one of the town's streets is shown to be clogged with power lines, trees and other debris. Pictures courtesy of WTVF-TV, Nashville, Tennessee

The major dangers of the storm outbreak seem to be over, but not before leaving a trail of devastation and death.

In Kansas, Linn County suffered some damage to a power substation and several houses and barns on Wednesday night. I understand that several injuries were reported here.

Missouri bore the brunt early. A portion of Interstate 35 in Kansas City was down to one lane Wednesday because of flooding problems. A seven-year-old girl was killed early Thursday in near the southeastern Missouri town of West Plains. Three other members of her family were injured when their mobile home was shredded by a twister. In the state's southwestern area, the town of Caulfield was hit as well. Mobile homes, houses and service stations were among the structures damaged by possibly three tornadoes that touched down early Thursday morning.

Alabama was far and away the worst hit by the outbreak. Two different towns saw large amounts of damage. The hardest hit was the town of Enterprise, where six people were killed. Five of those deaths were at Enterprise High School, which was right in the crosshairs of the funnel. The school was about to let out because of the weather, but as one newsman put it the tornado got there first. The high school was the most noted building destroyed, but a large part of the town of 20,000 was damaged by the storms. One other death in Alabama was reported in Wilcox County, where a lot of buildings were damaged as well. Tornadic thunderstorms pushed through Birmingham and Tuscaloosa in the afternoon, but no notable damage seems to have been reported from these.

In Georgia, the death toll has reached three as the storms that brought havoc to Alabama advanced eastward. The Sumter Regional Medical Center in Americus was blasted by the storm, killing two people in the process there. The town lost all its ambulances in the damage, and the city of Albany, which is 35 miles away, sent some that way. It is not yet known whether the fatalities were hospital patients. This all happened around 9 PM CT. A tornado blew through Taylor County, near Albany, killing one and injuring at least four.

Please keep all the people affected in your thoughts and be sure to say a prayer or two for them. They are going through very difficult times and they need all the help they can get. My God bless all these people who have lost loved ones and livelihoods. The Conservative Statesman wants to let the people affected in Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and Kansas know that we stand with you in your time of heavy trial.

The Weather Channel and CNN are thanked for providing information used in this report.

BREAKING STORM NEWS: Eight reported dead in Alabama

Reports just coming in(4:20 PM CT) are saying that eight are dead in Enterprise, Alabama after an apparent tornado tore through through. All those fatalities appear to be from the town's high school, which took a direct hit and still has people trapped in it. The town's business district and the hospital also took a direct hit. Another fatality is being reported in Wilcox County, Alabama. Storms are still affecting the Midsouth and the Deep South. The total number of fatalities so far appears to be at 10. Keep aware if you are in the path of these potentially deadly storms.

STORM UPDATE: Major Severe Weather Outbreak Is Under Way

The storm outbreak has already become deadly in Missouri, where a seven-year-old girl has been killed and numerous people are being reported missing, all in the town of Caulfield, in the southern portion of the state. At this time (11:50 CST), a severe thunderstorm watch spans a great portion of northern Illinois and northern Indiana. Tornado watches are the big story, spanning from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf Coast. Tornado warnings are out for nearly a dozen counties in Mississippi and Alabama. The threat focus is now shifting from the Midwest to the Ohio Valley, Midsouth and the Deep South. However, the Midwest could still be affected by severe weather. We're keeping our eyes on it.

STORM UPDATE: Kansas experiences first tornado damage

Linn County, Kansas appears to be the first area stricken by this expected severe weather outbreak. A power substation, barns, trees, and power lines were all victims of the storms winds. A few minor injuries have also been reported. In Kansas City, Interstate 35 has become flooded so that southbound lanes have been reduced to one lane. Storms are still severe in Kansas and especially in Missouri, where four counties in the center of the state appear to be under tornado warnings right now. The storms are expected to weaken during the early morning hours, then fire back up during daytime heating tomorrow. I'm keeping track of this storm, and plan to post if I am alerted to any major developments. Keep safe!

Severe Weather/Tornado Outbreak Expected Wednesday/Thursday

The first major severe weather outbreak of the season is expected tonight and tomorrow from the Midwest through the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys, down through the Tennessee Valley into the Deep South. Damaging winds, frequent lightning and large hail are expected with these storms, as well as the threat of strong tornadoes. For portions of states like Georgia and Alabama, it may be the most severe outbreak in several years. Tornadoes are being blamed for damage already in eastern Kansas tonight, although no injuries have been reported.

As this is being written at 10:45 PM CT, severe storms and possible tornadoes are blowing through eastern Kansas, the Kansas City metro area, and into central Missouri. The storm threat will march east, and a severe weather threat is expected over a wide area of the United States over the next 24 hours. I'm intending to post updates through the day here, especially as the threat shifts to Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Deep South. If major damage or injury is reported, I intend to update on those events. If you live in any risk area, be sure to take the necessary precautions, as this is expected to be a very dangerous weather event.